


Star Wars Ep VIII: The New Empire

by nendwriter



Category: Star Wars
Genre: F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Like, Rey Kenobi, Reylo - Freeform, Slow Burn, really slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-06-03 13:52:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 34
Words: 81,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6613171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nendwriter/pseuds/nendwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey discovers that her greatest struggle may just be one that lies within. Slow-burn Reylo with full plot and all characters. Rated M for language, violence, and sexual themes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Intro

Following the destruction of STARKILLER BASE, peace has been restored to the galaxy for just over two years, the Dark Side of the Force unusually dormant. In its absence, GENERAL LEIA ORGANA has organized the former RESISTANCE into the now larger ORDER OF ORGANA to maintain this stability.

Under the close mentorship of LUKE SKYWALKER, REY has advanced her skills with the Force, aspiring to one day attain the level of mastery of a true JEDI KNIGHT. However, Luke remains reluctant to teach her everything, hoping to protect her from her dark past. Luke also refuses to organize a new JEDI ORDER, knowing full well the potential for the Dark Side to rise once again.

While a hefty bounty rests on his head, the whereabouts of KYLO REN as well as any remaining factions of the FIRST ORDER remain unknown…


	2. Reunion

Rey awoke to bright sunlight filtering in through the large window in her bedroom. She rolled in her bed as she stretched her sore limbs. Luke had been making her practice lightsaber dueling a lot lately. Admittedly, Rey had been disappointed when he'd had her use a different lightsaber than his own, but she hadn't said so. After all, the blue one belonged rightfully to him.

Rey ate breakfast in the large, open kitchen alone, savoring the taste of her spiced porridge she ate most mornings. It was so much more flavorful than the instant-food packs she'd had to eat for years on Jakku. Rey also did not take for granted the variety of foods she now got to choose from.

Rey heard Luke entering the kitchen just as she was finishing her breakfast. "Good morning," he greeted, making himself a cup of tea. "Today is the day."

"Yes!" She exclaimed, smiling brightly. "I've missed everyone so much."

"I know you have. I only wish they could visit you more often. But you must remember that you're here for your own safety," Luke said. "In time, we'll be able to leave here."

Leia had suggested that Luke and Rey stay on a reclusive planet while she work on her training, in the case that the First Order or another opposing force decided to come looking for them.

"Yes, I know," Rey said. I'll bet you can't wait to see your sister." Rey's smile slowly faded as she watched Luke's expression grow somber.

"I...I just wish there was something I could do to make her...happier," he said, looking thoughtfully down into his mug. "But perhaps she'll just never be the same again," he said quietly. Rey got up from her chair and placed her hand on Luke's shoulder. He smiled weakly at her, his age evident in the wrinkles that lined his face.

"Perhaps not, but I'm sure that seeing you will bring her great happiness," Rey said reassuringly.

"I for one will be most pleased to see the Princess once again," C3PO said as he entered the room. R2D2 beeped in agreement as he followed in behind him.

Just then, a rumbling was heard from outside of the house. "Looks like they're here early," Luke said, looking up from his tea.

Rey ran outside of the small house amid the rumblings sounds of the space shuttle descending down to the private landing strip near the house, the thick line of trees surrounding around the area swaying and shuddering in protest.

Rey waited on the edge of the small tarmac eagerly, unable to control her wide smile as the spacecraft's hatch door began to open. Luke came and stood next to her, placing his hand upon her shoulder as they stood waiting. They watched as Leia, Poe, then Finn, followed by a few other members of the Order of Organa stepped down onto the smooth gravel.

Rey couldn't contain her excitement and gasped as Poe's small orange and white droid rolled down the edge of the pavement onto the grass, heading directly towards her. "BB-8!" She exclaimed, crouching down to rest a hand upon the chirping robot.

Rey stood back up and was taken aback as she was immediately consumed by a giant bear hug from Finn. "It's good to see you too!" She laughed.

Finn held her at arm's length and smiled brightly. "I've missed you, Scavenger," he said. "How are you? How's the training been going?"

"Good! How's your training been going?" She asked.

Poe suddenly came up behind Finn playfully shoved him out of the way before he had a chance to reply. "Aw, c'mon, we know who she really missed," Poe said, embracing her tightly. He raised his eyebrows as they stepped back from one another. "You look good, Rey," he said. "You may just be the prettiest Jedi I've ever seen," he added. Rey blushed, but mostly because he had called her a Jedi, the title she aspired to one day earn.

Finn came up next to Poe and shoved him, harder than Poe had done to him. "I was talking to her first, Dameron," he said, his voice mock-serious in tone.

"Alright boys, move away, it's my turn," Leia said as she released her embrace with Luke. Poe and Finn obediently stepped away as she approached, but not before Poe gave Finn another hard shove, nearly knocking him over.

"General," Rey said, curtseying.

Leia waved a hand. "Oh, that's not necessary, Dear. I trust you've been well," she said, leaning forward to embrace Rey. "Luke has been telling me some of the training you've been doing with the Force," she said, smiling briefly.

"Yes, it's been going...well," Rey said, trying to sound assuring.

Leia nodded, but her expression grew somewhat solemn. "You'll have to tell me all about it later. But, Dear, I need to talk to you," she said, her voice growing serious. She glanced back at Poe, Finn, and the few other New Republic members, all of whom were talking with Luke. "We all need to talk."

…

The group had gathered around the large circular dining table, C3PO passing around glasses of water to the guests, who all conversing happily with one another. As Rey stood next to Finn, the two couldn't help but sneak smiles at one another.

"I've missed you so much, Finn, it's so great to have you here," Rey said, playfully waggling his arm.

"It's definitely been a while," Finn remarked, a faraway look in his eyes. "Way too long." Finn had been helping Leia, Poe, and the others organizing the Star Fleet for the past seven months. Poe had been training Finn to become a pilot like himself.

"We going to get this party started?" Poe asked from across the table, and the chatter amongst everyone began to subside.

General Leia rested her palms on the table before her. "Alright, well. There are some pressing matters we need to discuss. Information old and new," she said. "We need to evaluate what is best for the Order, to do all we can to ensure its long-term success." She made eye contact with everyone in the room. "More specifically, we need to generate more funding and volunteers for the Star Fleet. As of now, we only have permanent patrols in ten star systems, which is not even close to what we need. Our influence will need to extend to even the farthest reaches of the galaxy, if we are to be taken seriously."

Everyone around the table nodded, somewhat absentmindedly; this was not anything new. In fact, this had always been the central goal of the Order. Since the destruction of Starkiller Base, it had been difficult to garner support for the Order of Organa; people had been too reluctant to pledge their loyalty to the newly-founded government in fear that the crushing First Order would rise again.

"So far, our efforts to gather more pilots has been largely unsuccessful. People either don't seem to care or they don't want to be attached to our Order."

"Perhaps we should consider a rebranding," Poe said. "I mean, 'Order of Organa' sounds an awful lot like 'First Order,'" he said, signifying quotation marks with his fingers. "I mean, heck, we've nicknamed it the 'Order,'" he said, and Leia shot him a look. "What? I think it's a legitimate point," Poe said, shrugging.

"We have been successful in recruiting pilots to the Fleet from the several systems closest to our base in the Azalea system," Admiral Ackbar said. "It isn't a substantial number, but the number of recruits coming from these systems is at least consistent."

Leia nodded. "Yes, thank you, Admiral, that's what I'd expected. But it's also what I've feared," she said, her expression remaining serious. "Now, in terms of information," she said, straightening up, "there have been reports in the past year that in various farther systems, pilots are being heavily recruited as well, and it is clear that this is not the doing of our own Order. Being recruited by this anonymous force are those young and skilled. However, while some have joined willingly, there are also many reports of these people have been taken by force if they refuse the offer."

"So...Stormtroopers," Finn said, and everyone's eyes turned back to Leia questioningly.

"We are not sure," Leia said. "This is much secrecy surrounding this issue. At the very least, we know this is an organized military force that is not our own."

"We're sure of this?" Finn asked incredulously. Leia nodded somberly. "But...but how could the First Order have survived the destruction of Starkiller Base? Nearly all of their armed forces and commanders were on the base when we destroyed it!"

"Yes, but we know that they still had hidden bases on a few planets," Leia said.

"No matter how many of them that are left, we can not underestimate them," Luke interjected, eyeing Finn. "You of all of us know that." Finn dropped his gaze, and Luke continued. "I myself have sensed some disturbances in the force, in recent months especially."

Leia nodded. "As have I."

Rey shot Luke a baffled look, wondering why he hadn't told her this before, but he (perhaps purposefully) did not meet her glare.

"Hold up, is this still the First Order? Do we know who's organizing this?" Poe asked.

"We have our suspicions," Leia merely said.

"Wait, wait, you don't think that...that Snoke or Kylo Ren could be behind any of this, do you?" Finn asked tentatively. Finn's question hung in the air a moment as everyone digested the fact that he had avoided using the name 'Ben.'

For the past two years, with the apparent disappearance of followers of the Dark Side of the Force and the First Order, everyone in the Order of Organa had assumed that Kylo had been killed off with the destruction of Starkiller base. At least, no one had discussed this further, but instead focused their attention on forming the Order of Organa in a defensive measure. Despite the possibility that Kylo was still alive, members central to the Order decided it best to avoid discussing the traumatic topic. This was for the sake of Leia, who had grown noticeably frail, both physically and emotionally, in her sorrow.

Rey felt a cold flush as she remembered the last time she'd seen Kylo Ren: lying in the snow, his blood pooling beneath him, struggling but failing to stand. Rey distinctly remembered Ren's predatory glare at her across the deep gorge that had formed between them, the bloody gash she'd marked across his face. When retelling the story of her and Finn's short-lived fight with Ren to Leia, Rey had spared details such as these, wanting to protect Leia from these disturbing images of her son.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rey noticed that Finn was watching her; he was probably reflecting on the same day.

Finally, Leia spoke. "Like I said, we have our suspicions," she said, her gaze lowering to the tabletop. "While it is...unlikely...that Ben survived the destruction of the base, we need to be prepared for anything," she stated, blinking hard. Luke placed his hand on top of Leia's, squeezing it. "Sometimes I think I can still feel his presence through the force," she added softly. After a few moments of silence she straightened her posture. "But that is just my own wistful thinking. For now, we must go with what we know. We are nearly certain that Snoke has something-if not everything-to do with this military organization."

"Annnnd I'm guessing we have no idea where to find this Snoke?" Poe asked.

Leia eyed him askance. "Not a clue."


	3. A New Mission

Later that evening, when everyone had headed to the tiny guest houses scattered around the main house, only Leia, Rey, Finn, and Poe remained in the living area, relaxing upon the spacious couches. Rey had been explaining to them how she'd been working her telekinesis abilities with Luke, even demonstrating her new skills by transferring various books and small items around to the different shelves in the room. They clapped and smiled, but Rey couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed in herself that she hadn't progressed much further in her telekinesis skills in the past year.

"Those are some neat tricks you've got there, Rey," Poe remarked. "Maybe you can teach me sometime," he said, winking.

"Poe Dameron, if only you had a connection with the Force," Leia said. "I'm convinced you could save us all." She chuckled, and Poe revealed an award-winning smile. A look of subtle annoyance crossed Finn's features.

Rey was surprised; she hadn't heard Leia laugh since Han's death. His murder, she corrected herself.

Perhaps Leia herself had realized this, too, for her face returned to its usual solemn state. "It's times like this that…" she began, her voice fading.

"What is it?" Rey asked softly, searching Leia's eyes.

Leia merely shook her head. "I feel a presence in the Force, as I mentioned before...I do believe that Ben is still alive, but...somewhere far from here. I feel…" she sighed heavily. "Call me crazy, but I wish I could reach out to him in some way...I need to. Just to see that he is alive," she said. Poe frowned, but Finn and Rey gave her looks of sympathetic encouragement. "As a mother, I cannot rest, cannot live without knowing the state of my son." She turned to Poe and Finn. "It would mean the world to me if you two could somehow do this bidding. If you even just caught word of him...All I want is to know whether my son is alive."

Poe slowly stood, then came and knelt before her. Finn momentarily did the same. "General Leia Organa, it would be my undying honor to fulfill such a task," Poe declared.

"And mine as well," Finn said. "We will find him." From the tone of his voice, it didn't sound like he actually believed what he said.

"What about me?" Rey asked, standing. "I'm coming too."

"Rey, you need to stay with Luke and complete your training. Besides, it's not safe for you out there, now that you are a known user of the Force. This is important."

"But I've already learned so much, and besides, this trip probably wouldn't take long. We just need to find a source who has had recent connection with your son."

"Uh, I'm not so sure I'd call this a 'trip,'" Finn said, standing, mimicking quotations marks with his fingers. "This isn't a vacation."

"I think it is too dangerous for you to go," Leia said, sighing. "Though they have learned in different ways, both Poe and Finn have had extensive combative training, should the need arise."

"I understand the point you make, General Leia, but I am willing to face these risks. With all do respect, I must go. Poe and Finn are my closest friends, it would feel wrong to me to not be at their sides. Besides," she said, shrugging, "I haven't left this planet for over half a year. I'm really needing a change in scenery, even a brief one."

Leia watched her, considering for a few silent moment. Her shoulders noticeably slumped as she released a long breath. "Alright," she said, eyeing Poe and Finn. "But you two better make sure you bring this girl back to me, she's special to me," Leia said. Poe and Finn nodded, exchanging glances. Leia laughed again. "Along with yourselves, of course."

Leia stood, smoothing the legs of her pants. She looked exhausted. "I'd better be off to bed, I need to get up early tomorrow if I'm to start making preparations for this mission."

"Wait," Rey said. "Do you have any ideas yet of where we should start?"

Leia cracked a half-smile, her mind drifting somewhere else momentarily. "Han always did have connections far and wide, but even his were not as extensive as are Maz Kenata's."

...

Rey, Finn, and Poe spent the next day catching up with one another, and Rey talked excitedly about finally leaving the planet the next day. Later in the afternoon, after a large lunch shared with everyone, Luke suggested that the three go for a walk through the thick woods that surrounded the houses. Rey knew this just an indirect way to tell her to leave the house so Luke and Leia could discuss her leaving the planet for a time.

Walking through the bright green and yellow trees, Rey led Finn and Poe along a faint path that she had forged through the foliage to a waterfall she'd found shortly after Luke had taken her to the planet, when she'd first explored the natural area around their little clearing.

"Did you remember your swim trunks, Poe?" Rey asked over her shoulder. Finn was already wearing his, paired with a plain t-shirt.

"Of course!" Poe exclaimed. "I love swimming."

"Rey? Is it, uh, shallow?" Finn asked. "Like, can I stand in the water? I never exactly learned how to swim, being on an ice planet most of my life," he said, referring to his previous home of Starkiller base.

Rey laughed. "Yes, there are parts of it where you can stand. And parts where you can swim," she said, turning over her shoulder to smile at Poe, who winked at her.

The sound of rushing water alerted them that they neared the clearing. As they curved through a thick lining of trees and plants, they came upon a large, glistening pond with a tall but waterfall as its backdrop.

"This is beautiful," Poe said, dropping his sack to the ground and pulling out his swim trunks. "I'm going into the bushes to change, no one peek," he chimed, heading back into the foliage.

Finn removed his shirt, facing away from Rey, and she saw the deep scar along his spine that stretched all the way across his muscular back. Finn stepped tentatively into the water, then jumped suddenly back. "It's cold!" He exclaimed, and Rey laughed.

"It's not heated, silly! It's a natural spring," She said, and began removing her own clothes, exposing her simple bikini beneath. Poe suddenly emerged from the buses, posing in a runner's lunge in his neon-orange trunks.

"Last one in's a rotten-" He began, but cut himself off as he turned to look at Rey. She scrunched her face as she noticed both Poe and Finn were looking at her intently, and she suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Ready, go!" Rey called. She decided to ignore the two's strange stares and she ran to the edge of the pool, jumping off of a rock and diving into the cool, refreshing water.

As she came up for air, she heard a splash beside her as Poe jumped in next. Rey wiped her face and turned around, seeing Finn only ankle-deep in the water. "C'mon, Finn!" She called encouragingly.

"Yeah, c'mon, buddy!" Poe yelled. "No sharks or anything in here!"

"What's a shark?" Finn asked confusedly. Rey didn't know either. Poe merely waved his hand in the air, motioning for Finn to join them. "The water's nice once you get in!"

Finn stepped back to the water's edge, looking nervously at the water before him. "It's way too cold for me," he said, and glanced behind him. "I think I'm just going to go back, I wanted to catch up with Luke anyways," he called.

"What? Nah, c'mon, Finn!" Poe exclaimed, but Finn had begun walking back out of the clearing.

"I'll see you guys later!" Finn called over his shoulder as he exited the clearing.

"I wonder what's gotten into him," Rey remarked.

"Ah, I think he's just afraid of deep water, you know?" Poe said, and he began swimming back to the shore.

'What, you too, now?" Rey called, puzzled. Poe laughed, and she watched as he got out of the pool and pulled two bottles out of his sack.

"I brought some Ebla Beers," he said, and jumped back into the water, handing one to her as he came back up to the surface.

"I've never had beer," Rey said, surveying the green bottle's labeling. "Or any alcohol, really," she said. "But I know what it does."

"You'll like it!" Poe exclaimed, playfully elbowing her. He opened his bottle and took a chug, and Rey did the same.

For a while, they chatted about Poe's experience with recruiting and training new pilots for the Star Fleet as they finished their beers. Soon, Rey's body felt warm and loose, her thoughts foggy times. It was a weird but pleasant feeling. She looked up at the sky that was turning an orangish blue as the sunset was nearing. "Let's go the waterfall," Poe said. "I'll race ya!"

Rey paddled as fast as she could but still lagged behind Poe, who covered the distance astonishingly quickly. He pretended to look at an imaginary watch on his wrist as she swam to him at the base of the waterfall. "It's about time," he teased, smiling at her brightly.

Rey giggled and playfully kicked his leg under the water, and he did the same to her back. Rey then swam under the splash of the waterfall, the crashing water soothing on her scalp as she ran a hand through her hair. She looked at Poe, realizing he was staring at her again. "What?" She asked, bewildered.

"You're beautiful, Rey," he said, his voice barely carrying over the sound of the waterfall. Rey moved from under the crashing water, looking at Poe with an inquiring expression. Dazed from the beer, she groggily studied his face, his warm brown eyes, his wet dark hair dripping down to his eyebrows. She realized they were moving closer together, Poe's eyes not breaking from hers, and she blinked slowly, trying to comprehend what was happening. Their faces were close, and, blinking, Rey glanced back towards the shore of the pool.

"Race you to the edge!" She exclaimed, and she hurriedly paddled to the shore, making her way to her pile of clothes on the sand. She turned to see Poe who was just now making his way back to the shore, still watching her. Rey slipped on her clothes, flipping her head upside down as she tried to shake some of the water out of her hair.

Poe pulled his shirt on and gathered his sack. Rey suddenly stumbled, leaning on a tree trunk for support. "I feel-I feel funny," she said, righting herself again.

Poe laughed, watching her with obvious amusement. "Alcohol will do that to you." He then crouched down. "Need a ride?"

Giggling, Rey climbed onto his back, and he carried her piggy-back style all the way back through the trees to the house. As she was carried through the darkening trees, Rey couldn't help but admire Poe's strong physique, drunkenly turning over in her mind the way he'd looked at her when they were near the waterfall. It had awakened feelings within her that seemed to have more effect than those simply caused by the beer.


	4. Return to Takodana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm new to Archive of Our Own and haven't figured out how to transfer italics into my work here, so...yeah. I'm going to try and figure that out. Thanks for reading!

The next morning, Rey, Finn, and Poe woke bright and early in preparation for their departure. Rey packed a small suitcase with basic clothing, attaching her lightsaber to the thin belt at her hip.

As she entered the kitchen, Rey saw Luke and Leia sitting at the dining table. They stopped talking when she entered, and Rey greeted them.

"Rey, I've been thinking," Luke said, standing up. He stepped forward and slid his hand into his robe, pulling out his lightsaber. "You should take this one instead."

Rey looked at him questioningly. She hesitantly took the saber, turning the familiar object over in her hands "But, this is yours."

"It calls to you," he said. "I know it does. My time with it has long reached its end. It belongs to you now."

Rey admired the aged lightsaber in her hands, trying to hide her growing excitement at having it in her grasp once again. "Are you sure?" She asked, looking back up at Luke, eyes shining.

Luke nodded heartily. "Absolutely. You seem to be able to use this one more naturally, anyways. Here, I'll take the other one off of you," he said, and Rey handed him the yellow saber. She attached the blue lightsaber to her belt, instinctively wrapping her sweater around it, her prized possession.

…

As Finn, Poe, and Luke began boarding the small transport shuttle, Rey hugged Leia at the edge of the tarmac. Leia and the other visiting members of the Order were staying a few more days with Luke on the tiny, unnamed, and otherwise uninhabited planet. Rey couldn't wait to leave, to see civilization once again after having stayed on this small planet for over a year.

"Be careful," Leia said, touching Rey's cheek. "I need you to return to me." Rey smiled at Leia's warm maternal concern.

"I promise," Rey said confidently.

After another hug from Leia, Rey turned and crossed the tarmac, pulling along her small suitcase. She saw Poe waiting for her at the shuttle's open door. He raised an eyebrow at her as she approached. "Ready for an adventure?" He exclaimed.

"Always," Rey said, and Poe followed her inside the shuttle. Luke and Poe got into the front control seats as they started the shuttle's engines. Finn and Rey sat in two of the passenger seats behind them. Rey turned to look at Poe next to her, who seemed quiet.

"Is there something wrong, Finn?" She asked gently.

He raised his eyebrows and shook his head at her. "No. Nothing's wrong, it's nothing," he said with feigned assertion.

Rey laid a reassuring hand on his arm. "You can tell me," she said, just as the engines grew louder. The shuttle began shivering as it lifted from the ground, pushing them into the air, heading towards the atmosphere. As the rumbling noise from the engine subsided, Rey looked back at Finn expectantly.

Finn frowned, struggling to meet her eyes. "I just...I don't think this is a good idea. And Poe isn't taking this seriously enough," he admitted. "He was all gung-ho when Leia proposed this to us...but, I mean, doesn't he realize who we're after?" He turned and met her with unmistakable fear in his eyes.

Rey's mind wandered to her dark memories of Kylo Ren, when she first saw him in her Force vision, stalking towards her in the rain. "Well, we're not trying to find him, we're just trying to get information about him," Rey said after a few moments of silence. "Really, I think that Poe just wants to try and make Leia happy...she's obviously been through great trauma. I simply can't imagine what she's gone through…" Rey said, her voice drifting.

"You're right," Finn said, nodding. "I mean, I highly doubt Kylo Ren is even still alive, he had to have gotten blown up with the base."

"Even besides that, Poe knows what he's getting into," Rey continued. "He knows what Kylo is capable of." Rey remembered how distraught Poe seemed whenever he recounted being tortured at Starkiller Base and interrogated by Kylo. From what Rey had overheard, it had apparently taken Poe quite some time to recover psychologically from his ordeal. Perhaps he still hasn't fully recovered, Rey thought.

...

Finn and Rey talked about how Luke had given her his lightsaber as their transport ship neared Takodana, Poe in the pilot's seat. After having taken the three up to Leia's large star ship in the unnamed planet's orbit, Luke had exchanged goodbyes with them before taking the small transport shuttle back down to the planet.

However, before getting back into the shuttle, Luke had pulled Rey aside, firmly gripping her shoulder as his expression grew serious. "Rey, remember, do not use the lightsaber or your powers unless you have to," he said. "If you blow your cover as a user of the Force, you will be in grave danger."

Rey nodded, and Luke released his hand from her shoulder, turning to get into the ship, but he suddenly stopped himself.

"One more thing," he said, slowly turning to face her again. "If you feel the presence of the Force at any time, even if it's calling to you...no matter where you are or what you're doing, get out of there immediately," he said, and Rey's eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"But I thought we are to listen to the Force? To follow it?" She questioned.

Luke's somber gaze moved to the side momentarily. "I want you to separate yourself from the Force this time. Avoid it, at all costs." Right after having said this, before Rey had the chance to speak again, Luke turned and got into the shuttle.

...

As the ship touched down on the brilliantly green Takodana, Rey marvelled at the familiar view of the stunning lake and valley outside of the window. Next to the water, across from their ship, she saw a large but unfinished castle, seemingly taller than the original had been.

"I wonder why she stayed here, after the First Order blew this place up," Finn said.

Rey shook her head. "I don't know."

Poe came out from the pilot's section, smiling. "I wonder if Maz still runs a bar here?" He asked.

The three exited the ship, stepping onto the soft grass. Rey looked around at the natural scenery as took she took a deep breath, taking in the cool, crisp air.

"My friends!" Rey heard a familiar voice exclaim. The three turned to look as the small Maz was making her way towards their landed ship.

They each had to bend down as Maz took turns hugging them, so as to avoid her just hugging their legs.

"Poe, you look as strong and confident as ever," Maz admired. "You too, Finn. Very muscular!" She said, pretending to flex her small arm.

She looked up at Rey, smiling warmly. "Ah, and the ray of sunshine," she said, and they all laughed momentarily at the pun.

Maz motioned towards the castle. "C'mon, I'll get you guys a round of drinks. It's not much, the place is still under construction, but it's something. I'm hoping it'll be finished in the next few months."

…

Once inside, Maz ushered the three to take a seat at a round table, not unlike the one that Finn and Rey had sat at before in this bar. Several small groups of people and creatures of varying species sat around the room, which seemed to be larger than the original bar room. The other visitors took little notice of the group as they entered. Rey noticed that the bar room itself really did not look much different than before, save for newer decorations and trinkets lining the walls.

Maz came back to their table with three pints of a green drink, passing them to Finn, Rey, and Poe, who winked at Rey.

"This is Ebla Beer?" Rey asked Maz, sneaking a smile at Poe.

Maz nodded, taking a seat at the table. "Yes, it is."

"No beer for you, Maz?" Poe asked.

"No, I haven't had a drink for…a while. At least, not since this place was pummeled to smithereens," she said, her voice faintly bitter.

"Maz, what made you stay here?" Rey asked.

Maz looked around the room thoughtfully for a few moments. "This place has a lot of history. I feel connected to this place, this planet, and so do a lot of my regular guests; I felt I owed it to both them and myself to rebuild what I'd had here before. To provide a place of comfort, of hospitality after a long journey. I salvaged everything I could from the original, which wasn't much."

"Savages," Finn said under his breath.

"Yes, you could call them that," Maz said, nodding slowly. "Speaking of which, Luke sent me word of why you're here."

"Do you have any information, Maz?" Poe asked. Rey wondered why he hadn't been more specific with is question.

"Yes, let's not say his name aloud, lest someone hear us," she said rather quietly. Maz then sighed, leaning back in her chair as she looked at Poe. "And I do not have anything conclusive on where he is."

"But there has to be enough visitors here that still have some sort of allegiance to the First Order, a spy, an ex-stormtrooper?" Poe said, motioning towards Finn, who looked offended.

"There are only rumors, which vary too much to be taken seriously. If you're wanting to know his direct whereabouts," she said, "I could only guess."

"But a figure like that, he's iconic. People would easily recognize him. Most people at least know of the guy," Poe said.

Maz leaned forward, lowering her voice. "A figure like that can go under wraps quite easily, actually. And most people know of him, but they don't know what he looks like without that mask."

"Finn and I saw him without his mask," Rey said.

"I remember Luke mentioning that to me, when he told me how you two fought him. That was very brave of you."

Rey hesitated before speaking again. "Ky—I mean, he also took his mask off in front of me before he read my mind. When he kidnapped me and took me onto ship."

Maz straightened her posture, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "He did? I didn't know that. Why would he do that?"

"Well, I believe I called him 'a creature in a mask,' and then he just…took it off," Rey said, and Poe and Finn both chuckled.

"Hell yeah you did, Rey!" Poe exclaimed, gesturing towards her with his beer.

"And then he proceeded to read your mind? What did he look like? What was he like?" Maz questioned.

Rey was surprised at all of her questions. "Well, I mean, he seemed...younger looking than I expected him to be," she said. Maz waited, encouraging her to continue. "He was very…intense. He just kept staring, I nearly felt as if I were being examined by a doctor," Rey said.

"Did he try to harm you?" Maz asked, making eye contact with Poe.

Rey frowned, shook her head. "No, he didn't. He didn't touch me. He came very close to me, though...his face was very…close to mine when he was reading my thoughts."

"And you tried to fight him, right? To keep him out of your mind?"

"Yes, but he still got to my thoughts," Rey said, her voice quieting as she recounted when Kylo had accessed some of her deepest feelings, her loneliness and her fear.

Poe leaned an elbow on the table. "But when he read your mind-didn't it hurt?"

"Well, it was uncomfortable, but…" Rey remembered the instant deep connection she'd felt when he'd entered her mind, but wasn't sure if it was worth mentioning, if it really meant anything. "It didn't hurt, no. But...there was something else I felt, some feeling...I can't explain it. But he had the same feeling."

"The same one? How do you know?" Maz asked.

"I remember he said, 'don't be afraid, I feel it too.' And for some reason, I knew exactly what he was talking about."

Maz sat back against her chair, letting out a long breath as she continued to study Rey hard. "This feeling, you really can't describe it?"

"It felt...it was overwhelming... really, I cannot explain it," Rey said, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Did this feeling scare you?" Maz asked, leaning forward once again.

Rey felt flushed. "Yes," she said with a nod.

"Why didn't it hurt Rey when he read her thoughts?" Poe asked. "I mean, I'm very glad for Rey's sake. It's because she has the Force too, right?"

Maz narrowed her eyes, thinking for a moment. "No, that wouldn't be it."

"So, what then?" Finn interjected.

Maz rubbed her mouth in consideration. "Well, assuming that the victim of the forced mind reading was attempting to block the other out, in which case we know Rey was, the only way this wouldn't cause the victim pain is if the one trespassing into the other's thoughts did so with careful precision. With deliberation."

"I'm sorry, I'm really confused here," Finn said, squinting.

"So in other words, he purposefully wasn't trying to hurt Rey?" Poe asked, raising an eyebrow.

Maz nodded. "Yes. Which is...interesting." She sighed, and a look of sadness suddenly crossed her eyes.

"What is it?" Rey asked concernedly.

Maz had a distant look in her small eyes. "I haven't seen Ben since he was very young. Since he was my own height," she added with a chuckle, but her smile slowly faded again. "But I knew who he was, knew his character. Ben was always a rather serious child, but never, never a cruel one…Perhaps there is light in him yet."

"We watched him murder his own father," Finn said.

Maz shot him an angry look, and Rey realized with astonishment that Maz still cared about Ben. "No story is ever black-and-white, stormtrooper," Maz snapped. "None of us know what he has been through." Rey caught Finn and Poe exchanging skeptical looks.

"Why would he be in hiding?" Poe asked, changing the subject. "From us? The Order of Organa?"

"I don't know," Maz said, shrugging. "There is a healthy price tag for his head, so that is possibly why. But there are many potential reasons, so I simply do not know."

"Maz, do you have any idea where he could be hiding?" Rey asked. "I mean, where would you go if you didn't want to be found?"

"Why, where anyone worth their salt would go if they really wanted to disappear," Maz said frankly, looking directly at Finn.

Finn thought for a moment, then it dawned on him. "The Outer Rim."


	5. Zephus

Rey pressed her hands against the cold glass window of the spaceship, seeing nothing but a vast expanse of stars.

She, Finn, and Poe had been traveling for two and a half weeks since their visit to Maz's planet, journeying ever farther into the Outer Rim.

Before they'd left Takodana, Maz had warned them about the planets of the Outer Rim. "Remember, there is no governing body overseeing these star systems," she had said. "So watch yourselves—and each other—closely."

They had so far stopped off on three randomly-chosen planets along the way, and luckily had not run into any trouble. But they also hadn't run into any information about Kylo Ren, or anything about the First Order for that matter.

Maz had sent them in a rather general direction towards the Outer Rim, explaining that if they were going to find anyone with relations to the First Order, it would be in the direction of the systems where most of the recruitment for pilots and fighters was rumored to be taking place.

Rey turned from the window as she heard Poe walking into the passenger's area, lifting his hands into the air. "Hey guys, _slight_ problem. We're getting pretty low on fuel here. Now, we're near a planet I'm pretty sure is called Zephus, so we'll have to stop off there to fill up."

"Zephus?" Finn asked. "Oh, no, we're not going to Zephus. That's known as one of the most dangerous places in the galaxy!"

"Well, Finn, buddy, we are in the Outer Rim, whad'ya expect?" Poe asked.

"You guys always want to go to the worst damn planets. First it was Jakku, now it's this place," Finn said. He turned to glance at Rey momentarily. "It's too dangerous for Rey to go."

"What? I can decide for my _own_ self, thank you," she declared, scowling.

"Yeah, Rey, maybe you should stay on board, watch the ship, you know?" Poe suggested.

"I can't _believe_ you two!" Rey exclaimed, feeling betrayed. "I will _not_ just sit on this ship!"

"Okay, okay, you're right," Poe said, holding his hands up. "I do know that this planet is a hub for illegal black market trading, so we'll definitely have to watch ourselves, like Maz said. Rey, if you're coming, make sure you conceal your lightsaber. Otherwise, that baby will be gone in a flash."

"Of course I'm coming."

"Maybe you shouldn't bring the lightsaber, though, Rey," Finn suggested.

"I'm bringing it," she argued.

"Alright, well, I'll head us down toward Zephus," Poe said, clearly trying to change the subject.

Rey turned back around and continued to watch out of the window. After about ten minutes their ship came into orbit over Zephus. Rey marveled at the colorful planet below her, splotched with striking shades of orange, blue, and purple. As the ship began to descend, Rey realized these were the colors of all of the trees that covered the planet, one giant floating forest. _How could such a beautiful place be home to such corruption?_ She wondered.

...

After their ship had descended into the bustling ship port, the three observed the rough-looking people and creatures milling about outside.

"I think it would be best if we covered ourselves up a bit," Poe said. "I think we'd stand out if we didn't."

Finn nodded. "Yeah, I agree. These are some pretty shady characters."

They decided to wear long hooded cloaks with scarves wrapped around their noses and mouths. Rey tucked her cloak around her lightsaber, making sure it was fully concealed.

"Alright gang, let's go find some fuel," Poe said, waving for them to follow as the ship's door opened.

The air outside the ship was thick with humidity, causing Rey to begin sweating almost immediately as the three began making their way through the tall, cramped buildings of the port town. The buildings looked decrepit, as if the town had seen several small-scale wars. Occasionally, Rey would see an orange or purple tree growing out of the side of a building or rooftop.

People and aliens came from all different directions, most of whom were also concealed with either cloaks or helmets. Everyone seemed to keep to themselves, and Rey instinctually avoided eye contact with all of the passersby, although she occasionally felt their eyes on her back as she passed.

"Keep close, Rey," Finn said under his breath. He tried to loop his arm through hers, but she shook him off.

"Quit that," she hissed.

Poe led the way through the bustling town, passing through crowded market stalls that sold a wide variety of things: exotic foods, strange weaponry, books, metal parts. There was even a booth displaying a range of skulls.

Finn grimaced as they passed the skulls, and the burly man behind the display stood up, looking right at Finn. "You want somethin' here, or you just gonna stare?" He bellowed, and Rey pushed Finn along.

"Try not to stare," Poe said over his shoulder. "The last thing we need is a fight."

After about twenty minutes of walking, Finn seemed to be growing frustrated. "Poe, we haven't found anyone selling fuel, I think we should just go back towards the ship port."

The three stopped in an open but busy plaza. Sweating from the humidity, Rey lowered her scarf from her face, fanning herself with her hand. She sensed someone watching her, and she looked to her side to see a large bearded man in a hood watching her intently. She averted her gaze, pulling her scarf back up to her face.

"But there weren't any fuel vendors there, either. C'mon, I'm sure we'll find something soon," Poe said, and Rey noticed his eyes were fixated on something to their side.

Rey turned and saw the man she'd noticed a minute beforehand heading straight towards them. "Excuse me sirs," the man coughed. "Hate to bother." His eyes flickered to Rey for a moment.

"What do you want?" Poe asked, folding his hands across his chest.

"I heard you were lookin' for fuel."

Poe's face lit up. "Yes! We were."

"I'd give you as much as you need and more, in exchange for this pretty-eyed girl of yours," he said.

" _Get_ lost," Poe snapped, lowering his hands into fists and widening his stance. Finn stepped in front of Rey, scowling at the man.

The man held his hands up in front of him, backing away. "Okay, it was only an offer," he said, and disappeared into the crowd.

"That man wanted to _buy_ me?" Rey asked, astonished.

"There's a lot of slavery out here, Rey," Poe said, concern in his eyes. "Like Maz said, there's no government, so anything goes."

"Let's get out of this area," Finn said, his eyes scanning the crowd for the man. He led them through a quieter market area.

"It's not safe to stick around here much longer," Finn said over his shoulder, eyeing Rey.

"Well, frankly, we don't have enough fuel to make it to the nearest planet, so we're going to have to stay here until we find some gas," Poe said, moving up to Finn's side.

Rey grew tired as she followed behind Poe and Finn through shopping centers and winding alleyways. As they made their way through an especially busy and winding street, Finn continually turned over his shoulder to make sure Rey was following close behind.

"I'm _fine_ ," she insisted, more than once. The sun was beginning to descend, the sky was turning a deep orange, matching some of the trees that were scattered along the streets.

At one point, Poe turned a corner, and Finn looked back to make sure Rey was following behind before turning around the wall.

Rey too was just about to turn the corner as her feet were suddenly yanked out from under her, forcing her onto the ground. The wind knocked out of her chest, she gasped as she felt something sharp plunging into her neck.

Everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Rey? Things are about to get twisty, so buckle up Padawans. For the record, my aim with this story is to explore some plot lines that I don't think are actually going to happen in Ep. VIII and IX, while for the sake of realism still stay true to the nature of the characters themselves (as based on how we see them in "The Force Awakens"). Also, I figured out how to use italics on this site--I didn't realize it would require coding. Thanks for reading!


	6. Captive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey's got herself into a spot of trouble! Thanks for reading. Feel free to leave your thoughts/comments, I'd love to hear them.

The blaring light of the sun woke Rey as she coughed and sputtered awake, struggling to breathe. She blinked groggily at the blue sky passing overhead. Her mouth felt sore, and she realized she couldn't fully close it; there was something wrapped around her head, going through her mouth. It felt like some sort of thick cloth. She raised her hands to untie it, but they were caught against something, tethered.

Rey's weak body lightly jostled around, and she had the sensation that she was moving. The surface she lay upon was hard and flat, like wood. She slowly up, pushing her tethered wrists against the wood, but as she did so her head thudded with pain.

Rey looked dazedly around her as she took in her unfamiliar surroundings. She sat atop a large wagon, various large boxes and overstuffed bags surrounding her. Her blurry eyes came to focus on the thin but tight metal cuffs around each her wrists, which she came to realize were tied to the sides of the wagon. Panic rising within her, she tugged her arms repeatedly, but the tethers would not loosen.

She squinted at the expansive yellow grassy field that stretched ahead of her, purple, orange, and blue trees sparsely scattered about the environment. The landscape was moving steadily away from her, and she was slow to realize that she was facing backwards from the direction in which the wagon was moving.

"She's awake, Disfol," a deep voice behind her said. She flipped around to her right, squinting at a blue figure riding on a pack animal that resembled something of a furry Eopie. A coarse-looking human male rode on the same type of animal alongside the blue creature.

"S'fine," a scratchy voice behind her responded. "We'll give her another dosage soon."

Rey leaned around and saw another human man riding a similar animal, which was attached to her wagon, pulling it along through the short grass. The man turned around to look at her, revealing a scarred and bearded face. Rey's eyes widened in horrified recognition: this was the man that had approached them in the port town. Stuck in a state of dazed shock, Rey blinked silently at him as turned back around.

The blue creature riding near the wagon said something in an unfamiliar language. Rey's head begun to spin, and she leaned back down against the hard grain of the wagon, her thoughts slowing as she drifted out of consciousness.

…

When she awoke again, it was dark. As she slowly focused her vision, Rey found that she was inside some sort of makeshift cloth tent, placed upon a few thick and dusty blankets. Warm orange light seeped through the crack in the tent ahead of her. She slowly sat up, a familiar throbbing pain returning to her head. She moved her hands up to rub her forehead, but as she did so she found that her hands were now bound together with the metal cuffs, so she could not separate them. She then twisted her arms to feel at her side, and her eyes widened in shock as she realized her lightsaber was gone.

Rey sucked in a shaky breath as she sat up straight and felt that her feet were also bound together. She leaned forward to observe them, seeing her ankles tied tightly together with some sort of crude rope. She still had all of her clothes from before except for her neck scarf and her shoes. She winced as she observed her red and swollen feet in the firelight. The bindings wrapped tightly around her ankles were cutting off most of the circulation from her feet.

Rey's heart began to race as she took in the cold air in short, shallow breaths, her heart pulsing loudly in her ears. Despite the protest of her throbbing headache, Rey dragged herself forward to peer out the split cloth of the tent's entrance.

Her vision still somewhat unfocused, she saw a clearing with a fire in the center, three figures huddled around it. A dark border of trees and twisting plants framed the clearing. The three men she'd remembered seeing before-it _hadn't_ been a dream, she realized-were sitting around the fire, talking. An animal was outstretched near them, some sort of large dog. Rey strained to hear the men's conversation.

"-Was thinking of going back, too, but I kinda like it out here, this way of life. Livin' on the edge of everything, ya know?" The bearded man who had been transporting her wagon was saying. The blue creature responded in his strange dialect.

The other man spoke up. "I never plan on goin' back. I'm wanted back on my home planet, anyway." The blue creature nodded.

Rey scanned the perimeter of the clearing, trying to figure out some method of escape. She then closed her eyes, attempting to calm herself and clear her thoughts, to focus on probing the men's thoughts. But no matter how hard she concentrated, her throbbing headache prevented her from focusing her mind clearly enough to access the Force. She realized just how incredibly weak she felt, from hunger, thirst, the cold air, and most of all, her growing fear.

Suddenly, the dog lifted its head from the ground, releasing a low growl.

"What is it, Rassel?" The rough-looking man inquired, following the dog's gaze. The dog stood and barked twice, trotting along the edge of the clearing. Rey's heart raced as she realized that if she tried to leave the tent now, the dog would alert the men to her attempt at escape.

"Probably just some animal," the man with the beard said. "There's no one livin' out here."

"That Organa Order has been growing," the other one continued. "I wonder if that First Order will ever come back."

"That's about as likely as the Empire returning," the bearded man chuckled, poking a stick at the fire. "All I care is that this damn _prince_ leaves. Thinks he owns the whole damn planet. Without him, we wouldn't have to be watching our backs all the time." He stood up, kicking the sand with his boot. "'Bout time I hit the sack, if we're getting up early."

"Bet you won't be getting up too early," the other human said, snickering, and the blue creature whistled something in agreement.

The bearded man nodded his head at the other two, and began making his way over towards Rey's tent. She felt the blood draining from her face. No. She scooted back from the tent's entrance, focusing her thoughts, trying to access the Force, but in her panic-stricken and drug-induced state there was a disconnect that prevented her.

The man suddenly parted the sides of the tent and crouched at its entrance, and raising his eyebrows as he looked at her.

"Evenin', Lovely," he said with a sneer, and he reached forward to grab her foot. She released a muffled scream through the cloth in her mouth and kicked wildly back at him, trying with all of her might to use her Force abilities against him. "No need to struggle," he growled, grabbing her feet and yanking her toward him. Rey continued to kick her legs against his savage grip, and he frowned. "I'm sure you're very thirsty," he taunted. "I'll be happy to give you water as soon as you _comply_."

Anger and confusion filled Rey's expression. He grabbed the restraints around her ankles and whipped out a large dagger, sloppily breaking the rope with a sloppy cut of his knife, nicking one of her ankles in the process. She winced. He threw the knife aside and threw himself on top of her, knocking the wind out of her chest.

She struggled to breathe, wriggling her body, fear gripping her as she suddenly felt something icy cold piercing her arm. She froze with horror as she saw a large syringe filled with green liquid being injected into her. "Now you can relax," he hissed. With his free hand he ripped a portion of her blouse, exposing her neck and bare shoulder. She released another muffled scream through her mouth gag. A fogginess began enveloping Rey's body, her head's throbbing growing slower, her heartbeat louder in her ears. A tear rolled down her cheek. She had never felt so helpless before.

Suddenly, the men's dog began barking ferociously from outside the tent, and the man atop her sat up quickly, looking back over his shoulder. Rey wriggled as he climbed off of her amid yelling from the two men outside.

"What _is_ it?" He growled as he crawled outside the low tent. The dog continued to bark and growl with increasing aggression. "Have we got company?"

Rey slowly sat up, her head swarming, hands clammy. She couldn't think straight, struggling to make sense of things, yet she sensed felt a heavy presence in the air.

The dog's screeches abruptly came to a halt, ending in a squeal, and the men began screaming, grunting, their sounds frantic. She thought she heard crashing sounds, the sound of several heavy steps scuffing against the dirt. Momentarily, the light of the fire grew brighter, and Rey heard a sizzling hiss. Or at least, she thought it did; her sight and hearing were growing less clear by the moment. Her breath came out in shaky sobs as she pulled her knees tight to her chest, frightened and confused. She jumped as she heard a piercing, blood-curdling scream from one of the men, and he continued to scream for several tense moments. _What kind of animal is attacking?_ Rey thought, her mind racing. Then, suddenly, all was completely silent.

Rey's spinning mind struggled to comprehend the situation, but she was too afraid to peer outside of the tent, lest the animal outside see her. She was shivering, but from her fear or the cold night, she wasn't sure. She was crying, and struggled to choke back the sounds of her sobs. She leaned her face into her knees, trying to muffle the sounds of her staggered breathing.

She heard- _thought_ she heard-footsteps crunching heavily through the dirt, growing louder, nearer. She shifted her cuffed hands to the ground at her side, pushing herself backwards, getting as far away from the front of the tent as she could. Her vision spun. She felt nauseous.

Suddenly, with a violent, blinding flash, the tent was severed open through the middle. Rey whimpered and flung herself further against the back of the tent, her wrists damp with blood from struggling against the rusty metal links. She shut her eyes, hoping the animal wouldn't spot her.

She felt something leathery grab at her bare calf— _a gloved hand?_ — but she violently kicked it away. Just then,the rest of the tent was torn away from the ground, leaving Rey shivering out in the open cold air, her arms still wrapped around her knees.

She blinked up at the large, dark figure that loomed above her, but her vision was too blurred to make out who or what it was. It at least seemed to have the form of a human. Rey hissed in anger as she she felt a hand at the back of her head, but momentarily the cloth dropped from her face and mouth.

She gasped as she was suddenly hoisted off of the ground. She struggled in the man's arms, attempting to push away from his chest with her bound hands, but in her drugged state her movements were too weak and had little effect. She felt as if she could no longer access the Force, but yet she still sensed its presence.

"Don't be afraid," a deep and faraway voice said. It took her dull senses several moments to realize that this had been spoken by the dark figure carrying her.

Her eyes strained to focus as she was carried past the blurry bright orange of the fire. Too exhausted to continue struggling, Rey ceased wriggling her limbs and allowed her head to lean against the figure's chest for support.

A heavy and strangely familiar drowsiness suddenly pressed upon her, she tried to fight against it with the small amount of energy that remained, before she was forced to succumb to unconsciousness.


	7. Dreams & Nightmares

Poe motioned for Finn to follow him, but Finn remained rooted where he stood. "You _sure_ this is our best bet?" Finn huffed. He wanted to continue interrogating people in the port town.

Poe and Finn had encountered a tall, intimidating Trianii who'd offered to give them a ride to the settlement nearest the port town in exchange for a healthy sum of gold. They were being blatantly overcharged, but neither Finn nor Poe were inclined to argue the price; even the nearest town was almost an hour's ride away, and no one else had seemed willing to take them there.

"What _else_ are we supposed to do? There aren't exactly any security centers on this godforsaken planet," Poe spat. He sighed heavily, staring dejectedly down at the ground. Poe then stepped forward, firmly gripping Finn's shoulders. "Finn. We're going to find her," he said. "She'll be okay."

The two had spent the past two hours scouring the village for Rey, retracing their steps many times and talking to the hundreds of coarse people that milled about, but no one claimed to have seen her. Everyone they'd talked to had been either reclusive or had ignored them completely. _As if they were all in hiding in the Outer Rim,_ Poe thought to himself facetiously.

Finn's watery eyes met Poe's serious gaze, and he slowly nodded. He remembered how capable Rey was of looking after herself, thinking back to when he'd first encountered her on Jakku. "You're right. She can fend for herself. Let's go," he said.

Poe nodded, giving Finn a grim smile. Despite their words of hope, deep in their hearts they both feared the worst.

...

Rey experienced interweaving periods of semi-consciousness and deep sleep. She first awoke to a bleary orange light, perhaps that of a fire, when she felt herself pressed upright against something cold and hard, perhaps metal. A hand pulled her wrists up away from her head, and she jumped as she heard crackling sounds above her. She winced as she felt a quick burst of intense heat near her palms, but her hands were subsequently released, her wrists dropping weakly back down to her sides. She returned to immediate blackness.

Rey woke again briefly, this time in pitch-blackness. Something—a hand— held her upright, and something cold and round was pressed to her mouth, parting her lips. A slick coolness filled her mouth, and Rey was slow to realize it was water. She gripped the flask in her own hands, ignoring the stinging of her wrists as she gulped all of the water down in mere seconds. The vial was taken from her hands, and the last thing she knew she was being lifted back off of the ground.

At one point Rey felt that she was lying upon something soft, like a cloud. Something warm and damp was pressed repeatedly to her face, her neck, then her wrists. She felt a pressure at her head, in her mind, and she grimaced as she instinctively pushed it out.

Rey began to writhe and contort in pain as she felt a thick but indescribable pressure at her burning wrists. After what seemed like a long while, the pressure suddenly stopped, and a warm bare hand gripped her lower leg. She attempted to kicked back several times, but the hand did not release from her limb.

"Stop fighting me," a deep voice said, but Rey continued to push against the grip. Had she heard this voice before?

She sucked in a sharp breath as a wet compress was again applied to each ankle. She contorted in pain, dazedly tossing from one side to the other, but again the grip on her legs did not release.

"Be still," the voice hissed.

Several times Rey awoke in the dark, nauseous, stumbling her way off of her cloud, feeling along a wall towards a dim light. She stumbled into a connecting wash room, where she threw up several times before groggily drinking out of the sink water. Each time Rey limped straight back to the soft cloud, passing out immediately after climbing back atop it.

Rey continued to drift in and out of consciousness, her mind filled with dark and terrible dreams that were hard to distinguish from reality. After having several of these nightmares, Rey felt a slight pressure at the forefront of her mind. Sensing its mildness, she hesitantly allowed the presence. As she did so, her dark dreams began turning to light ones. Her dreams became scenes of natural foliage, rolling, lush landscapes, and images of stunningly beautiful galaxies and bright stars. She felt as if she were floating through the galaxy itself.

...

Eventually, she awoke to a soft yellow light. She blinked repeatedly, her eyes slowly coming into focus as she took in her surroundings. She was in a rather plain room, lying atop a large grey bed. A thick furry blanket had been placed on top of her.

_Whose home is this?_ She wondered sleepily. Warm sunlight filtered in between billowing plant fronds outside through the small window to her left. Rey's eyes moved over the large but sparsely-filled bookshelves that lined the walls around her. She slowly stretched, wincing at the pain that surged through her wrists and ankles, her throbbing head.

She gently lifted her wrists to examine them, and was surprised to see some sort of white gauze wraps wound around them. She removed the blanket and saw the same medical wraps around her ankles. Her feet were red, but no longer swollen.

Rey noticed a side table to her right where a tall vial of water sat next to a small blue fruit. Rey grabbed the water, finishing it quickly as she feebly sat up in the bed. She then picked up the bright-blue fruit, eagerly biting into its soft flesh. Her eyes widened at its incredibly sweet flavor, and she hastened to take several more bites.

Fruit in hand, Rey carefully stood up. She leaned back against the bed momentarily for support, her ankles stinging as she placed all of her weight on her feet. She gingerly rubbed a hand along her warm forehead and recounted what had happened last night.

Or...had it been last night? How long had she been out? Time seemed to be completely lost on her.

She shivered as the flashes of her memory came back to her: the bearded man forcing himself upon her, injecting her with a drug, ripping her blouse open...she looked down and begrudgingly saw that she was still wearing the same dusty outfit, without the scarf and cloak. _And my lightsaber_ , she thought despairingly. Rey's torn blouse hung off of her shoulder, and she shuddered again at the thought of the bearded man.

Rey looked towards the slightly-ajar bedroom door, wondering what person or creature had saved her, so benevolently taken care of her. She had blurred memories of the thugs' violent screams, a figure lifting her from the ground, carrying her through the cold night.

Rey slowly, silently pushed the door open, peering out into a dimly-lit, curved hallway lined with several other doors. She crept down the hallway, listening for any sign of movement. As she turned its corner, she blinked against a bright, sunlit foyer, bereft of decor save for a circular table in the middle with an expensive-looking vase atop it. She limped through into the large entryway, admiring the tall double-doors at the left end, presumably the front doors to the house, flanked by tall, narrow windows through which Rey could only see thick, waving blue foliage.

It was so quiet in the house, Rey figured no one was probably home.

Rey turned around the corner to her right, entering into a small, neat kitchen area with a gleaming counter. She moved closer to the countertop as she hungrily eyed a bowl of more exotic-looking fruit, taking a few moments to examine their bright, appealing colors.

She turned and walked into the sitting area facing the kitchen, which featured a couch, a few chairs, and a low table atop what looked like a large animal pelt. The table featured a single stack of books. Looking around the room again, Rey realized that the place looked unfinished, so _empty_ , as if the house's owner had never taken the time to properly decorate.

Surrounding the living area were expansive windows that reached from floor to ceiling. Rey walked up to the glass, marveling at the brilliant view. She was awestruck by the blue and purple forested hills that rolled on before her for miles. She thought of the beauty of Takodana, but this landscape perhaps surpassed even that.

"Enjoying the view?"

Rey jumped, the remaining half of her blue fruit dropping to the stone floor. She turned and immediately froze in place as her bright eyes met the unmistakable dark ones of Kylo Ren.


	8. Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looks like poor Rey's just jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire! Thanks for reading and reviewing.

An unmasked Kylo Ren stood leaning against the kitchen counter, his large dark eyes revealing a gaze of noticeable familiarity.

" _You_ ," she said under her breath in astonishment.

His serious eyes remained on hers a moment longer before they shifted down to the fruit she had dropped onto the ground. He lifted his hand from his side. The fruit immediately flew past Rey and landed in his bare palm.

Eyes wide as a deer's, Rey searched Kylo's face, his seemingly calm expression revealing nothing as he studied the fruit in his hand. He was taller than Rey had remembered, more domineering. His hair seemed shorter than how she'd remembered it. Her eyes moved across the faint pink scar that snaked from under his eye to his forehead. _The scar I gave him_ , she remembered.

She blinked repeatedly, trying to clear her mind, to asses the situation. Kylo Ren's eyes flickered back to hers, and Rey's heart began to beat in her ears, her hands trembling. She quickly scanned the room for something to use as a weapon, but the blood drained from her face with despondency as she saw no such thing.

"Breathe," Ren said suddenly, and Rey realized her breath had been caught in her throat. She let out a quick breath. "You've hid well, Scavenger," he said flatly, his eyes unwavering, focused. "And yet, now here you are before me."

Rey glared back at Ren, attempting but failing to hide the growing fear on her face. She suddenly sensed he was attempting to probe her mind. She grimaced as she strained to fight off his attempts, keeping him out of her head. He then immediately backed off, and she tried returning the favor, attempting to force her way into his mind, but couldn't.

"You've gotten stronger," he remarked, glancing down at the fruit in his hand before meeting her eyes once again. "But not strong enough. I learned most of what I needed to already." He annunciated his words with precision, tilting his head slightly as he watched her closely.

Rey narrowed her eyes, taking a small step behind her back towards the window. "Where am I? Why am I here?"

Ren turned sideways, setting the fruit on the counter next to him, straightening his posture. He looked at her askance, his eyebrows raised ever so slightly. "You're my guest."

Rey's face contorted, remembering when he'd last told her this, when she was his prisoner on the starship. Her thoughts raced as she remembered drifting in and out of consciousness, to when she'd heard a familiar deep voice. _"Don't be afraid,"_ the voice had said. Her eyes widened with realization, shocked that she hadn't immediately realized that it had been _his_.

"It was _you_...you _helped_ me?" She said with growing recognition. She shook her head in utter disbelief.

Ren's expression grew somber, his eyebrows lowering over his dark eyes as he turned to face her.

"I don't—I don't understand."

A flash of annoyance crossed Ren's features, his eyes growing darker. "Would you have rather me let them have their way with you?" He hissed.

Rey was still frozen in a state of shock, confounded why her known adversary would have decided to rescue her.

"You do realize had I wanted to kill you, I would have done so already," he said, his head tilting again.

Rey breathed quickly, her heart continuing to race. With growing discomfort, she felt that he looked at her as a cat does a mouse.

She studied Kylo, still trying to figure out his motives. His posture was not tense, yet she sensed that he was still guarded. Again Rey felt his presence seeping into her mind, but she pushed him back out.

Ren's eyes moved over her body, and Rey instinctively yanked her drooping blouse up over her bare shoulder, but he didn't seem to take notice. "You're still weak," he said.

"Why did you help me?" Rey scowled, ignoring his remark.

Kylo's jaw seemed to tighten, and he took a single step away from the counter towards her. She instinctively pressed back, placing her palms against the glass window behind her.

"Would you rather I hadn't?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow. He took another step in her direction, and Rey felt cornered. "For one who seems so strong with the Force, I'm surprised you couldn't have helped yourself," he gibed. His expression grew more serious, his eyes silently searching hers left and right.

Kylo then moved as if to turn around, but stopped as Rey tried to reach into his thoughts; however, Kylo again blocked her immediately. He glowered at her.

"You're walking a thin line, Rey," he hissed, his eye twitching in annoyance. She for some reason flinched at the sound of her own name; she'd never heard him call her anything but "Scavenger."

Rey's head was still throbbing with pain, and she had a growing feeling of dizziness. She rubbed her forehead quickly, reluctant to break her gaze from her opponent. "Where are we?" She asked again.

"You require rest. I trust you won't be running off any time soon in _this_ condition," he taunted, ignoring her question. He then turned and began walking away.

"Wait," Rey called confusedly, following him for a few steps, but stopped herself to maintain careful distance. Kylo stopped and turned in the archway connecting the foyer to the kitchen, a look of obvious annoyance crossing his features as he glared back at her. "How long have I been here?" She asked.

He hesitated before answering. "Two and a half days, counting this afternoon."

Her eyes widened. " _Two_ days?" She exclaimed.

"Did I stutter?" His brows furrowed as he stared at her for a brief moment, then he continued through to the entry area.

"Where are you going?" Rey called, panic rising in her voice, but there was no answer. She let out a long breath, slowly relaxing her hands that had balled into fists. She eyed her half-eaten fruit that still sat on the counter, and hesitantly moved to pick it back up. Her body weakening, she gripped the counter for support as she took a few small bites, but realizing she'd lost her appetite, she set it back down.

Rey stared through the kitchen archway silently for what seemed like several minutes waiting for Kylo to come lunging through yielding his fiery red lightsaber. He didn't.

Drowsiness setting back upon her, Rey's lids began to lower over her eyes. She wanted to go back to the bedroom to sleep again, but was too afraid to risk confrontation with Kylo.

She remembered the front double doors she'd passed in the foyer, and debated running to them to escape, but her throbbing head and ever-increasing sleepiness protested against this idea. _Besides, I don't even know where I am,_ Rey thought groggily.

She leaned against the counter, losing feeling in her legs, wanting to sit down. She realized that Kylo _did_ have a point; if he'd wanted to harm her, he probably would have done so by now.

Rey looked back at the sitting area, her eyes coming to rest on the large inviting couch, and she limped towards it. As she heartily sat down, she wished she had the warm furry blanket from the bedroom to curl up with. She let out a long breath as her heart rate slowed, allowed herself to relax a bit, attempting to focus on slowing her breathing. She tried to clear her thoughts, to think logically. Why had _Kylo Ren,_ of all people, rescued her? No matter what reasoning she came up with, nothing made sense to her.

Rey so desperately wanted to continue theorizing, as well as to remain awake and on her guard, but she grew sleepier with each passing minute. Her mind hazey, Rey's heavy eyelids slowly shut.


	9. The Search Continues

Finn and Poe were growing desperate. Rey had now been missing for a full day, and although both of them were increasingly losing hope, neither had been able to bring themselves to contact Luke or Leia, to admit that they'd lost Rey.

"It's time. We _have_ to send for Luke and the others," Finn said, his voice unsteady.

Poe rubbed his eyes frustratedly; neither of them had slept through the night. "Not yet. Contacting them would mean that the entire Star Fleet would be sent over, that could open up a whole new barrel of problems out here. War, even. We keep looking."

"If we don't find her by the end of the day, we're sending for Luke," Finn declared, eyeing Poe angrily.

Poe sighed. "Okay. But we'll find her before then. We will. She may have just gotten lost."

"For an _entire_ day? Do you hear yourself?"

"Listen, Finn, you don't think I'm just as desperate to find her as you are?" Poe exclaimed, rubbing his head, disgruntled. He straightened himself, looking seriously now at his friend. "Finn, I love her."

Finn stared back at him, dumbfounded. "What—you—you what?" He stammered.

"I've known ever since we dropped her and Luke off on that isolated little planet. I hated knowing I probably wouldn't see her again for a long time."

Finn blinked, his heart quickening. How could he not have realized this? He'd seen the way Poe looked at Rey, admired her, just as he himself always did. _I've loved her a lot longer than you,_ Finn thought bitterly, remembering how he'd admired Rey's skill in piloting the Millennium Falcon away from pursuing Tie fighters on Jakku, how grieved he'd been when he'd seen Kylo Ren carrying her through the battle on Takodana to his ship.

Poe noticed Finn's dejected expression. "I know you miss her too, Buddy. But we have to stay positive."

"Are we done here?" The large Trianii grumbled, dropping his cigarette and grinding it into the dirt with his large boot. He folded his large muscular arms as leaned against his ancient-looking landspeeder. For even more Galactic credits, the Trianii, called Tojor, had offered to continue transporting them to various towns and villages in their search for Rey.

Finn nodded somberly, and he and Poe climbed into the back of the speeder, Trojor steering them swiftly down a busy market road through the colorful forest.

...

Rey shook awake in the fading evening light, bolting upright on the couch as she made sense of her surroundings, memories flooding back to her of what had taken place earlier that day. She rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"You're awake."

Rey nearly jumped off of the couch. She looked up with wide eyes and saw Kylo standing behind the counter in the dimly-lit kitchen, watching her intently.

"Would you _quit_ scaring me?" Rey bursted. She studied her adversary-turned-rescuer: he wore the same simple dark clothing as earlier, but now had a thin cloak of some kind around his shoulders, as if he'd been outside. Rey still couldn't bring herself to believe what had happened over the past few days.

Ren broke his gaze from her and turned around to a small fridge, taking out a large liquid canister. He began pouring the dark liquid into a small glass.

After replacing the canister to the fridge, he picked up the glass and carried it over to her. Rey shrunk back against the couch instinctively, watching him anxiously. He stopped a few feet away from her, probably sensing her apprehension. He extended his long arm, holding the cup out to her. "Drink this."

Rey's face twisted as she looked at the opaque cup. "No," she said forcefully, glaring back up at him.

"You need it to heal," he said calmly, urging the cup towards her.

She looked up with him with distrustful eyes. What game was he playing?

Ren sighed quietly, bringing the cup to his own mouth, taking a small sip. "It's not poisoned," he stated, extended it to her again. Rey hesitantly grasped the cup, their fingers grazing momentarily. She looked down at the dark blue liquid, studying it for a few moments. She looked back up to see Ren watching her expectantly, his eyebrows raising. She realized he wasn't going to leave until she drank it.

She slowly sipped at the drink, eyeing Kylo with enmity as she did so. The cold liquid had a strong, sickly-sweet flavor. She handed the empty cup back to him, only half-empty. She scrunched her face. "That's horrible."

A wry smile formed momentarily on Kylo's mouth as he looked down at the cup. Rey was surprised; she didn't think him capable of smiling.

He turned and walked back into the kitchen, placing the cup into the sink silently. Rey observed him attentively from the couch as one would a wild animal. He rinsed the cup out with water. It was difficult for Rey to grasp the idea that someone as fierce as he would still do such mundane tasks.

Kylo glanced across at her as he set the cup onto a towel to dry. He moved to the side of the counter, gesturing to a small pile of clothes on the edge of the counter. "You can use these," he said simply. She stared at him suspiciously. "Not that they'll fit," he added. She watched his face for any sign of a trick, but he merely turned around and left the room.

Rey remained on the couch for about a half hour more, her eyes moving between the empty archway and the pile of clothes on the countertop. She wanted so badly to change into clean clothes, but she also wanted to avoid potentially running into Kylo.

Eventually, boredom and curiosity getting the best of her, Rey limped her way to the kitchen, taking the clothes and tiptoeing silently through the foyer. She listened carefully, but heard no movement. She turned down the hallway that led to her temporary bedroom, and saw that all of the hallway doors were still closed.

Rey continued to tiptoe clumsily to her room, her sore ankles making it difficult to do so. Once in her room she quickly but silently shut the door, staring at it for a few moments, waiting for Kylo Ren to come bursting through it in a fit of rage, but coming back to her rational senses she decided that probably wasn't going to happen.

Rey began to undress herself, staring at Ren's grey t-shirt and soft trousers he'd lent her. She then remembered the washroom, and entered it, her spirits lifting as she saw a large bathtub. She nervously turned on the faucet, warm water pouring out into the basin. Rey painstakingly peeled the gauze wraps off of her stinging ankles and wrists, but was surprised to find that the wounds weren't as bad as she had thought they were going to look. Climbing into the tub, relief overcame her as the warm water soothed her wounds, the dirt and sweat soaking off of her skin.

…

After having sat in the tub for nearly an hour, Rey toweled off and began slipping on her new clothes. They felt baggy, loose. She walked into the washroom, looking at her reflection in the small mirror. The clothes were way too big, almost comically so. The shirt hung off of her shoulders, the large pants nearly falling off of her hips. Rey decided to roll the top of the pants twice to keep them on her, and she also rolled up the bottom of the pant legs to keep them from dragging underneath her bare feet.

Her hair still damp, Rey toured around the nearly barren bedroom several times, bored. Outside the tiny window she only saw thick foliage. Rey's curiousity growing, she quietly opened her bedroom door, peering around it. The hallway was empty.

Rey crept through the silent hallway and foyer into the kitchen area, stopping abruptly near the counter as she spotted Kylo sitting on the couch across from her, looking down at some tablet computer in his lap. He raised his head and looked up at her expectantly.

Rey had the fleeting instinct to just go back to her bedroom as Kylo continued to stare at her, but she instead held onto the edge of the counter, as if to keep herself in place.

"What do you want?" Kylo asked flatly, still gripping the tablet in his lap.

"Why did you help me?" Rey asked, frowning. Her voice sounded less stable than she'd wanted it to.

Annoyance flashed across Kylo's face. Rey waited a several silent moments but he didn't speak, so she decided to try breaking into his thoughts. Yet again, he was quick to block her; to Rey, their powers felt quite evenly matched.

" _Don't_ even try," Kylo snapped. He quickly stood, and Rey straightened herself defiantly.

"Where are we?" She prodded.

He was quick to respond this time. "That's not for you to know."

Rey stood her ground, glaring across the room at him. She watched his forehead twitch as she tried again to break into his mind. "Tell me."

He took a large step in her direction, his body tensing. "I don't have to let you stay here. I can force you out _any_ time I like," he hissed.

Rey dropped her efforts from pressing into his mind, suddenly losing energy. Her mind began to spin, dizziness setting upon her. She leaned forward into the counter to stable herself, letting her head hang downwards. She rubbed a hand against her now throbbing forehead, staring down at the countertop, wishing she could use the Force to relieve her pain.

"You're having withdrawals from the drugs, still," Kylo observed.

_Withdrawals?_ Rey thought, images of syringes filled with green liquid flashing back into her mind. She shuddered, her body suddenly feeling cold.

She glanced distrustfully at Kylo as he moved in her direction, making his way around her to the fridge. She felt hyper-aware of his presence as he passed her. Kylo again pulled the dark liquid canister out of the fridge.

"No," Rey protested, shaking her head. "I'm not going to drink that."

"If you want to relieve your pain, you will," he stated, setting a cup of the blue liquid on the counter before her.

"What...what did they inject into me?" She asked, staring at the cup in front of her.

Kylo moved to the other side of the counter across from her, seemingly to create distance between them. "A drug that takes away your senses, induces drowsiness. A common one, in these parts. But very potent."

Rey looked across at him, noticing his rather mild expression. His eyebrows raised slightly, his dark eyes flickering from her to the cup, signaling her to drink. She sighed as she lifted the cup, grimacing as the awful cold liquid slid down her throat.

"Drink that when you are in pain," Kylo said. "You will heal much faster. But do not drink too much at one time, it will also induce great drowsiness."

After forcing herself to finish the cup, Rey set it down onto the counter loudly, staring at it. "Poe, Finn. They probably think I'm dead," she realized despairingly.

"Do not worry about them," Kylo said, but his voice was less than reassuring.

Rey blinked slowly across at Kylo, her lids lowering over her eyes as tiredness began to overcome her. She scowled at him one last time as she turned around and made her way back to the bedroom to nap.


	10. In the Dark of the Night

Rey awoke suddenly in pitch blackness. Sitting up in bed, she realized it must be the middle of the night. She was tired, but she didn't want to want to go back to sleep. Gingerly climbing out of the bed, she wondered if Kylo Ren was sleeping. If he was, she certainly didn't want to wake him up.

Rey tip-toed down the hall, making her way through the dark foyer lit by a single beam of moonlight. She crept over to the windows and peered out front of the house, but it was too dark to see anything but thick, moonlit foliage. Rey made her way into the kitchen and found a light, switching it on. She examined the bowl of exotic fruit on the counter, selecting a bright orange one and biting into it. The fruit was sour, initially, but Rey enjoyed the sweet aftertaste.

After finishing the fruit, she walked over to the coffee table, eyeing the stack of books that sat atop it. She gathered the large books in her arms and sat down with them on the couch, examining each of their covers: _The Galactic Credit and Other Monetary Units of the Galaxy; Speeders: New and Vintage; The Physics of Hyperspace Travel._ In this last book, a small slip of paper stuck out from the side, tucked between the pages. Rey pulled it out and was immediately flooded with shock.

It was a faded photograph of a younger Han and Leia, both smiling at the camera brightly as if they had just been laughing. A small, very young Kylo stood between them, one hand holding Leia's whilst sucking his thumb with the other. _Ben,_ Rey corrected herself. When was the last time he had even gone by that name?

Rey hurriedly tucked the photo back into place, setting the back down onto the low table. She picked up the glossy _Speeders_ book, flipping through its brightly-illustrated pages for a while. She paused momentarily as she realized what she was doing: casually reading a book at midnight in the house of the enemy. What was she _doing?_

Rey pondered whether she could use the Force to figure out where in the house Kylo was. Curious, she shut her eyes and focused herself. She extended her mental awareness outside of herself, spreading it outwards, away from her. After a few moments, Rey was surprised as she tapped into clear a presence not far from where she sat.

All of a sudden, Rey recalled Luke's terse words to her before she and the others had left for Takodana: "If you feel the presence of the Force at any time, even if it's calling to you...no matter where you are or what you're doing, get out of there immediately." Rey immediately retracted her mind, opening her eyes. She frowned down at the _Speeders_ book as she absentmindedly continued to flip through its pages, reflecting on Luke's warning, wondering what exactly had prompted him to say this.

"What is it?" A husky voice asked.

Rey jolted, looking up to see Kylo standing in the kitchen archway, rubbing a hand against his eye. His lids were heavy and his black hair looked especially unkempt, waving in all directions. It was obvious he had just woken up.

"What?" Rey asked, confused.

"You woke me," Kylo responded, rubbing his brow bone.

Rey's brows knitted together in confusion. "What—how?"

"You were trying to reach me," he said, but his tone was not accusing. He slowly made his way to the sitting area, leaning against the large chair on the other side of the coffee table. "I felt it."

"That's not what I was doing," Rey said defensively.

Kylo squinted at the book in her lap. "Do you like land speeders?" He asked.

To Rey, this seemed like such an inconsequential thing to ask one's adversary. "I—I was just looking for something to read," she shrugged. She raised an eyebrow. "You _did_ say I was your guest."

Kylo opened his mouth to speak, but instead he seemed to stop himself. He rubbed his neck, closing his eyes momentarily, obviously still somnolent. Rey observed how unthreatening, how _placid_ he seemed in this state.

"Do you...like land speeders?" Rey probed, unsure of what to say.

He nodded slowly. "Yes. I do." He sat down in the chair across from her.

Rey studied him for a moment, wondering if she could break into his mind in his drowsy state. She began pushing into his mind, but she was only met with his now familiar mental wall. He narrowed his eyes at her, resting his head into the side of the chair, as if dejected.

"Again?" He asked.

Rey waited for him to return the mental nudge, daring him to try and access her mind by repeatedly pushing against his his, but she was disappointed that he didn't.

She had the strong, fleeting impulse for their minds to be connected, open and free to one another. Rey couldn't figure out why she had this sudden desire; perhaps it was just her own natural curiosity.

"You know, it's difficult to relax when someone's trying to break into your thoughts every other minute," Kylo said.

"You've done the same to me," Rey retorted.

Kylo raised an eyebrow, straightening his posture. "Speaking of which," he said, "I've seen your training with Luke has been...rather...stagnant?"

Rey tried but failed to conceal the flush that spread across her face.

"And your _'friends,'"_ he continued listlessly, "the pilot and the traitor...they haven't been able to do much in terms of protecting you."

Rey scowled, pushing her hands into the couch cushions on either side of her. "They're braver than _you_ could ever hope to be," she retaliated, her voice rising, but Kylo seemed unfazed.

"You're so right," he breathed, glancing towards the dark windows. "Although...where were they when you were kidnapped? Without food or water? When you were drugged so those worthless _dregs_ of the planet could use you as a slave for pleasure?" He hissed.

Rey grimaced, the memories from her captivity still fresh in her mind, her feelings of dread as the man's rough hands tore open her blouse-she had tried to shove these memories to the back of her mind. Rey slowly brought her eyes up to meet Kylo's, fury brewing in her eyes.

"They were nowhere to be found," he said matter-of-factly.

Rey stood from the couch as her anger grew, seething, her brows furrowing and her hands tensing at her sides. She had the growing impulse to lash out at Kylo with the Force, to harm him in some way, _kill_ him. Kylo remained oddly calm as he watched her closely, his eyebrows subtly lifting.

Rey suddenly extended her palms out in his direction, intending to send his chair through the glass window behind him, but he instantly held up his bare palm, blocking her attack with his own use of the Force. He kept his hand up, fingers splayed, as his dark eyes seemed to light up at the sight of her.

Rey dropped her hand, letting out a long breath. Her head began to spin.

"I knew you had it in you," Kylo said quietly. Rey dropped back down on the couch behind her, staring down at her hands, breathing quickly now, confused at what had just happened. She looked back up to see Kylo's eyes fervently focused on hers. "You're more powerful than you realize," he said, "but Luke isn't allowing you to reach your full potential."

Rey glowered at him for speaking ill of Luke. _"Luke_ is the top Jedi in the galaxy," Rey snapped.

"And the only one. Yet, he hasn't taught you everything. Why?" Kylo prompted, subtly tilting his head. "He hasn't taught you a lot of things. Only the basics," he said, his tone sharp. "He hasn't even told you about your family."

Rey shot him a look of astonishment. "How—"

"Of course Luke would never teach you about both sides of the Force," he continued. "Although, I guess he didn't need to teach you that," Kylo said, his tone softening. "You already have it inside of you."

Rey lowered her eyebrows at him, appalled. "What are you talking about?" She breathed.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." His dark eyes ardently searched hers. "You just _felt_ it."

Rey's stood back up from the couch, looking across at Kylo accusingly. "You _made_ me do that."

He shook his head, straightening himself again. "I did no such thing. That was all _your_ doing...and you know it," he said, his voice quieting. He stood up from his chair, resting an arm casually atop its back. "It's up to you which side of the Force you want to follow," he said, his gaze unfaltering.

"You know Luke and I are users of the Light," Rey hissed.

Kylo watched her a moment more, then took a few paces back towards the archway before turning back over his shoulder. "It's too bad that Luke doesn't let you choose for yourself," he said, and with that, he moved silently out of the room.

Rey sat back down on the couch, dumbfounded. She let her head fall into her hands as she shut her eyes, turning over in her mind what had just occurred. She felt so confused, and suddenly, so _alone._ She wanted to go back to her bedroom to go back to sleep, but she didn't want to go anywhere near Kylo. Instead, she remained on the couch, huddled against its back cushion.

Rey blinked repeatedly as she felt her eyes moisten. She was surprised to find that she had started crying. She lay on the couch, silent tears rolling down her face as she waited for sleep. She felt deeply confused, frustrated. She so desperately wanted to be back with Poe and Finn.

But Rey realized she wasn't crying for these reasons; what bothered her most was how easily she'd been able to access the Force out of anger, her realization of the potential truth that rang through Kylo's words, that the dark side of the Force perhaps already existed within her.


	11. Presence

Finn and Poe waited anxiously in the morning sunlight at the ship port, Poe pacing back and forth in the dirt as Trojor leaned against a wall nearby whilst smoking a cigar, ferociously eyeing any passersby that dared to walk within his vicinity. Finn sat on a shaded bench, head in hands, staring at the wall across from him.

_How could I have let this happen?_ Finn thought incredulously. Rey had now been missing for several days, close to a week. It felt like just yesterday they had been making their way through the busy street market, Rey growing frustrated as he had continually turned around to check on her. Even in her irritated state, Rey was still the most beautiful girl Finn had ever seen. Not that he'd seen many girls, but Finn still knew he would never change his opinion. _I decide to give her some space, and the next thing I know, she's gone,_ he reflected bitterly, feeling he himself was to blame for her disappearance.

As their hope diminished each day, Finn and Poe had spoke less and less to each other. The last full conversation they'd had was when they had decided to send for backup from the Order of Organa, a day and a half after Rey had gone missing.

Finn hopped up as he heard a growing rumbling sound, and he and Poe exchanged a knowing glance. They trotted over to an open section of the nearly-full tarmac where a dark shadow was forming, a large ship lowering to the ground.

Almost as soon as it had landed, the passenger door flipped open, releasing the exit ramp into the compact dirt below. Finn and Poe stopped in place as a Luke, Maz, and a large group of Order soldiers hurriedly made their way to the ground from the ship. They all wore plain, thick clothing to conceal themselves. Still, the people and creatures milling about the port seemed to eye the group suspiciously.

"Oh my god, it's—" Finn began, but Poe pressed a hand over his mouth.

"Don't say his name," Poe said sharply.

"I sense her...Rey's alive, but far from here," Luke declared as he approached Finn and Poe, skipping any form of a greeting. "But I also feel...I'm not sure what." Luke's expression seemed to grow more concerned.

Finn and Poe ignored the last of Luke's statement as they both exchanged looks of excited astonishment, the first true happiness they'd felt for quite a long time.

"In what towns have you looked?" Maz asked, coming up behind Luke. Her tone was not worried, but instead rather firm.

Finn quickly listed all of the towns, villages, and outposts they'd been to in their search for Rey. "That...guy has been taking us around," Finn said, pointing back at Trojor who remained against the wall a ways behind them. Trojor looked in the group's direction, a look of suspicion crossing his fierce features.

"Yeah, but he's been overcharging us," Poe said. "Maybe we should choose someone else to take us around now."

"Not to mention, he's terrifying," Finn added quietly. Each night that they'd camped out or spent in a small motel, he had been convinced that the large Trianii would come and kill him in his sleep.

Maz shot Finn an amused look. "Greedy _and_ terrifying, huh?" She asked skeptically. She waved the Trianii over, who stomped through the dirt towards them. "There are things far more terrifying than a Trianii," she said.

"Maz Kenata," Trojor grumbled in greeting as he approached the group.

Poe and Finn exchanged shocked looks. "You _know_ this guy?!" Finn exclaimed, then looked feebly up at Trojor.

"He's visited my castle many times," Maz said. "Trojor here is a loyal customer, and a good friend."

Trojor bowed his head once at Maz, taking another casual drag from his cigar. Poe and Finn still couldn't hide the shock on their faces.

"I hear you've been charging these two a pretty penny," Maz said, her voice nearly scolding. Trojor shot Finn a fierce look, and Finn shrunk backwards.

"For you, I charge nothing," Trojor said to Maz in his low, animalistic voice.

"I appreciate that," Maz said peering up at him. "As you know, we are trying to find a friend of ours. She's very _important,"_ she said, raising an eyebrow. "Do you know where someone like her might be taken?"

A look of curious recognition crossed Trojor's face. "If she is as you _say_ she is, then I might. But I cannot take you there," he added quickly.

Maz looked frustrated. "Why not?"

"That is too dangerous a place," he said obscurely. "No one goes near there."

A flash of frustration flashed momentarily across Maz's face. She took a forceful step towards the giant Trianii, who—to the complete and utter shock of Poe and Finn—took a large step backwards. "Then you will take us as close as you can," Maz declared.

Trojor hesitantly nodded, dropping his cigar and grinding it into the dirt.

Maz nodded towards Luke, who eyed everyone around him seriously. "We will all split up. I will take half of the group with me through further villages. Maz, you and—" He cut himself off, eyeing Trojor expectantly.

"Trojor," the Trianii said.

"You and Trojor will take the other half. Alright, let's go, we have no time to waste," he said.

Finn looked questioningly at Poe. "I think we should split up," Finn said, "since both of us have had some experience with the layout of these roads now."

Poe nodded somberly, sucking in his lips as he looked down dismally at his feet. He then nodded at Finn, and the two hugged tightly.

"We'll find her soon," Poe said, and the two broke apart, going their separate ways.

….

Late the next morning, Rey woke on the couch to a strange sensation. She felt as if there were an added but faint presence in the air. Rey sat in place, trying to figure out what it was she was sensing.

She then felt a familiar pressure at the forefront of her mind, and she blocked it out. Rey stood up, confused, as she gingerly stretched her limbs and rubbed her eyes.

She heard a door open and swift footsteps approaching as Kylo Ren appeared suddenly in the kitchen archway, his shoulders lifting and falling in succession as he seemed to be breathing somewhat heavily. He wore a cloak over his shoulders, and she noticed a fresh bruise on his cheek.

"What is it?" Rey asked coarsely. She folded her arms across her chest.

Kylo visibly hesitated before speaking, his eyebrows knitting together. "Nothing." He turned around and stalked back through the foyer.

Rey tried probing his mind, but of course to no avail. _How has he been able to read my thoughts since I've been here?_ She wondered. _Was it when I was asleep?_

Rey's head began to hurt, and she felt slightly flushed. She went into the kitchen and forced herself to down a small cup of the healing liquid, scrunching her nose at the awful taste.

She stood awhile in front of the wall-sized windows surrounding the sitting area, wishing she knew where she was, how she could get back to her friends. She wondered if they were okay, if they were even still on the planet. Did they know she'd been kidnapped? _They wouldn't believe where I am now,_ she thought.

Rey walked into the bright foyer, seeing Kylo's cloak, a large dark neck wrap, and a pair of black gloves strewn across the table in the entry. She passed down the hallway, sensing for Kylo's presence. She was going to demand that he take her back to where her friends were, although she was quite sure he wouldn't do so. Rey couldn't quite figure out if she was being held prisoner here or not.

She sensed that Kylo was nearby, in his bedroom, and she leaned against the door, listening. It was silent. She silently opened the door, peering around it to find the room quite dark once again. Kylo sat atop his bed facing the wall in front of him, looking directly at her as she opened the door. His right arm was bare and stripped of the black wrap he usually wore, and his left hand was curiously positioned over a large, dark bruise on his right arm.

"Get out," Kylo said, but his voice was not harsh.

"What are you doing?" Rey asked, genuinely curious. Kylo dropped his left hand to his lap, looking at her confusedly.

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked.

Rey looked at him questioningly.

"Luke didn't even teach you about Force healing?" He asked confoundedly.

Rey scowled and opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't come up with anything to defend Luke. She didn't know he had refrained from teaching her so many things with the Force.

Kylo turned his body on his bed so he was facing her. "You've never learned how to heal yourself?" He asked, clearly astonished.

Rey shook her head. "No. I didn't even know... that was a thing."

Kylo raised his eyebrows at her. Rey was about to change the subject, to ask if he knew where Finn and Poe were, but her curiosity was burning.

"How does it work?" Rey asked, eyeing the black-and-blue bruise on Kylo's arm.

"It's too complicated to explain. It's something that is learned only through experience," he said, standing from the bed and folding his arms.

"Show me, then," Rey said.

Kylo seemed surprised, his brows furrowing. He seemed to be in deep thought for a moments as he searched her face. Finally, he let out a breath, releasing his hands to his sides. He took a step towards her, motioning for her to move out of the way, and she backed into the hall. Kylo made his way into the foyer, and she followed. In the sunlight, Rey noticed the severity of the bruise on Kylo's exposed, muscular arm, and she wondered what had caused it. She wondered what other injuries lie beneath his clothing.

Kylo led her through the kitchen into the sitting area, silently gesturing a hand towards the couch, and she sat down.

Rey watched Kylo distrustfully as he peered down at her wrists. Rey's heart quickened as his tall frame stood before her. Kylo held his hand out towards hers. "May I look?"

She blinked at him, searching his eyes. They were mild, unthreatening. Rey slowly extended to him her left wrist. His dark eyes broke from hers as he bent down and lightly held her forearm, turning and examining her slightly pink wrist. His eyes flickered to her other wrist. "They've almost healed," he observed.

He then let go of her wrist and reached down, lifting her ankle off of the ground. Rey shot him an angry look, but he didn't seem to notice. He propped her leg upon the coffee table as she continued to scowl at the side of his head. He seemed to observe her ankle closely, frowning. He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. _"What?"_ She snapped.

"This is still painful?" he questioned, and Rey leaned forward to see observed her red, slightly swollen ankle.

"Only when I walk," she said. She watched as Kylo nodded once and positioned his hand just above Rey's ankle. He closed his eyes, bowing his head slightly. Rey sense his deep concentration in the air around them; it was nearly tangible.

She watched the side of his face closely. He seemed to transcend into a deep focus, his features relaxing, softening. Kylo's fingers began to tense, and Rey winced as her ankle began to burn slightly. A few long moments later, the pain began to subside, and her eyes grew wide as she saw the inflammation on her ankle gradually decreasing, the redness fading away.

After about another minute, the pressure she'd felt on her ankle completely subsided, and Kylo's hand relaxed as he opened his eyes, looking her ankle once more.

"How...where did you learn that?" Rey asked incredulously.

"I taught myself," he said candidly, still not looking at her. Rey watched as he rubbed his hand over his eye. His demeanor seemed changed, and she was intrigued.

"So...I could learn to do that as well?" She asked.

"Yes. But it's not easy."

"Does everyone know about this?"

He shook his head. "Put your leg down," he said, and she dropped it to the floor. He leaned closer to her legs. He then flicked a hand towards her farther leg, causing it to automatically raise onto the coffee table.

"Hey!" Rey exclaimed, alarmed at his casual telekinesis. He looked at her, eyes widening.

"What?"

"Don't do that," Rey scolded.

He sighed as he again positioned his hand over the injury on her ankle, taking a deep breath before closing his eyes and concentrating.

A few silent minutes later, after the redness and inflammation on Rey's other ankle had vanished, Rey watched as Kylo's dark eyelashes quivered, his hand releasing from the Force and his eyes opening halfway, his breathing deep but slow. He pressed a hand on the coffee table as he pushed himself off of the ground. He suddenly seemed very tired. He began making his way out of the room.

"Can you teach me to do that?" Rey asked suddenly.

Kylo stopped and turned over his shoulder, looking at her blearily."Your ankles aren't fully healed. But they're nearly there," he said, obviously choosing to ignore her question. He sleepily waved a hand towards her. "The rest will have to wait," he said, and made his way out of the living area.

Rey observed her ankles, amazed at how much they had healed. There was only a slight redness around them. She flexed them in different directions, then stood and made a quick lap around the couch, marvelling at the complete absence of pain when she walked. She couldn't help but smile to herself.

Rey looked up in the direction of the foyer, silently making her way through to the entry room, turning down the hallway. As usual, all of the doors were closed. She passed by one door, then another, sensing that he again in his bedroom.

She silently opened revealing Kylo's long body sprawled on his stomach across his large bed. She thought Kylo was asleep, but he turned his head and opened his eyes as she entered.

"Let me rest," he said huskily.

Rey remained in the doorway, watching him for a few moments. He turned his face back to the other side, away from the light that cracked in through the open door.

Not wanting to start a fight, Rey left the room, closing the door silently behind her.


	12. Bond

After having spent awhile stretching her legs on the couch, Rey stood in front of the living room windows, watching the bright trees swaying in the wind. She felt her strength returning to her, a renewed vigor in her body. She looked to her left and noticed that one of the large windows had a smaller, person-sized window blocked off within it. A door?

Rey went over and pushed on it. Sure enough, it swung open, revealing a small staircase that led down to the grass below. Glancing towards the empty kitchen archway, she made her way down the steps, into the refreshing air outside.

She stood on the edge of the sloping grass hill that the house sat upon, overlooking the vast forest that stretched before her. She felt as if she were on top of the world, and she wished she could leap off of the hilltop and soar above the colorful trees below.

Rey sat down onto the grass, stretching her legs in front of her and enjoying the breeze in her hair until the blue sky began to develop shades of light orange, the sun starting to set. She looked around at the thick forest all around her, seeing no signs of civilization, of life. She wondered how far her friends were, if they were even still on Zephus.

She sensed a presence moving behind her, but she didn't turn around; she didn't need to to know who it was.

She waited for Kylo to speak as she sensed him standing behind her, but he didn't.

"It's beautiful here," Rey observed, wondering if she could get away with some casual conversation.

A few moments passed before she heard Kylo's deep voice. "It is."

"How long have you been here?"

"As long as I've needed to," he said cryptically. Rey assumed that he was using this place to hide out.

She hesitated before questioning him again, not wanting to set him off. "Don't you get lonely out here?" She turned her head over her shoulder, looking up at him. He stood a few short paces away, his dark eyes focused on the horizon ahead. She waited for him to answer, but unsurprisingly, he didn't.

Rey turned her head and faced in front of her once again. "I know I would," she said, her voice quieting.

They remained silent for a few more moments, the breeze picking up, blowing Rey's hair as she brushed it out of her face.

Kylo silently moved forward, standing next to where she sat. She observed him from the corner of her eye curiously, watching as the breeze rustled his thick black hair. He seemed distant, lost in thought.

"Kylo," she prompted, looking up at him.

His dark eyes met hers suspiciously.

"Why...why did you decide to join the dark side of the Force?" She asked. She pressed her hands into the grass on either side of her, ready to jump up in case he flew into a fit of rage.

His eyebrows quivered as he turned his gaze back to the landscape ahead. "That's not something I can explain," he said at last.

"Try," she challenged, and he looked back down at her, lowering his eyebrows.

"I can't," he said seriously.

"Yes you can."

"You wouldn't understand," he snapped, turning away from her.

Rey was growing frustrated at his refusal to answer her questions. "No, I probably wouldn't. But I still want to know."

He turned his face to look at her once more, and Rey thought she saw a flash of pained emotion flash momentarily through his eyes.

"Why did you break from Luke? Why did you betray him and the others?" She demanded, deciding to dig deeper. Kylo's face contorted.

"I _didn't,"_ he snapped, leaning away from her.

Rey knitted her brows. "You're _lying._ I _saw_ you!" She exclaimed, slowly standing up.

Alarm flashed across Kylo's face. _"Saw_ me?"

"Yes, I—I saw you in a vision. You had on your mask and your cloak. There were dead Jedi lying all around you in the dark, it was raining, and—" she cut herself off, regretting having told him about the vision she'd had when she had first picked up Luke's lightsaber. Kylo watched her carefully, blinking.

"You have visions too," he finally said, his voice distant.

"Yes, I had one," she said, puzzled. She crossed her arms.

"When?"

"Just once," she said quickly, afraid to reveal too much. His dark eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"What else was in this vision?" He probed.

"Nothing you need to know," she chided.

He straightened his posture, turning to face the horizon. "And I thought you wanted to have a heart-to-heart," he derided.

"You haven't even answered any of my questions," she blurted. She glared at him, then sighed. What if he could give her some insight about her Force vision?

"There wasn't much in the vision I had," Rey continued. "I saw Luke's hand, the mechanical one...it was on his droid." She thought for a moment, again wondering if it was safe to tell him more.

Kylo's eyes were trained carefully onto her face, and she knew he knew there was more to tell. "I also remember seeing a ship, it was leaving Jakku. I was calling out to it, I think it was my family. But something—someone was holding me back."

Kylo seemed to consider this for a short time, searching her face as he thought. He then turned and slowly paced a few steps back and forth, his arms folded, thinking.

"That vision, in the rain," he said. "I've had that one too." He suddenly stopped before her. "But it's not of the past. It's not what you think it is...It hasn't happened yet," he said.

"You mean, it's...a vision of the future? A premonition?"

Kylo nodded somberly.

"But, what does it mean?"

"I don't know…" Kylo said, shaking his head, but Rey wasn't sure if she believed him.

"Why would we be sharing visions?" She asked, this fact suddenly dawning on her. Kylo ran a hand through his hair, seemingly hesitant to speak. "Do all people connected to the Force share visions?"

He shook his head. "No. They don't," he said, his eyes slightly narrowing.

"Then...why?" She asked.

Kylo hesitated to speak. "It's something to do with the Force, a connectedness, if you will."

"Between...us?" Rey asked, bewildered.

Kylo glanced to the side momentarily before looking back her. "We share a Force Bond."

"Which is...what, exactly?" Rey was intrigued, but also slightly fearful.

"It is what it sounds like," he began, swallowing. "It's when two users of the Force are naturally connected, mentally. In theory, they can freely share each other's thoughts, among other things. Although from what I have read about it, it's usually something that develops over a great deal of time, between a master and an apprentice, or it's manually forged by someone."

"And... _you_ didn't forge it?" Rey asked, suspicious.

"No. I don't know how to do that. Besides, why would I?" He asked, shooting her a sharp look.

Rey shrugged, thinking for a moment. She wasn't sure if she believed what he was saying, if she _could_ believe it. "How are we connected mentally? I can't read your thoughts, and you don't usually seem to be able to read mine; it doesn't make sense."

He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself.

"What?"

He shook his head, avoiding her eyes.

"You aren't going to tell me more about this?" She asked, growing upset. She looked at him concernedly. "If we have a Force Bond, as you say, why can't we just read each other's thoughts?"

"Because we're blocking each other out," he said, "and rightfully so." His brows lowered over his dark eyes. "You can't read someone's mind if they are sufficiently guarded against it."

"So...what would happen if we _did_ open our minds to each other's thoughts? What would happen?"

"I wouldn't advise that," he snapped, his voice growing dark.

"What if we figure out _why_ we have a Force Bond?" Rey asked, her curiosity burgeoning.

"No. We've already read each other's thoughts before. You remember," he muttered, eyeing her askance. Of course Rey remembered when Ren had interrogated her on his ship, had forced his way into her mind, and she had been able to do the same to him in return. She remembered with clarity the mental connection she'd felt momentarily between them, a sinewy draw to him that she'd used to reach back into his own mind.

"Is _this_ why you've helped me?" Rey asked, incredulous. "Because you think we share this bond?"

Rey stared at Kylo, and he grimaced as she attempted to break into his mind with all of her might. Her face tightened in concentration as she stared into his dark furious eyes.

"Rey, _don't,"_ he said sharply, his hands tensing at his sides. Rey could sense he was blocking her as hard as he could, but she also sensed his tiredness, his seeming inability to focus completely on blocking her. She could also sense her own strength, her own connection to the Force that was for some reason compelling her to force him to open his mind to her.

She took a step towards him. "You've broken into _my mind,_ I'm only doing the same to you," she declared.

His eyes twitched as he strained to keep her out of his head. Again, Rey felt that their mental powers were almost evenly matched. She felt his mental wall was unstable, and she caught a glimpse of his apprehension, as she had before on his ship; however, it seemed more immediate, an awareness of an impending conflict with something, someone other than herself.

Kylo took a large step backwards, his expression remarkably similar to when she'd broken into his mind during the interrogation. "Get out. There are some things not meant to be seen," he warned, but she refused to let up.

Suddenly, Rey was shoved aggressively backwards onto the ground. She glared up at Kylo, and she intended to use the Force knock him over and down the hill, but he was too quick for her: Rey was frozen in place on the grass, her hand extended before her.

Kylo watched her for a few moments, breathing heavily. His extended arm seemed to shudder. "Don't do this," he said, shaking his head, and then he released her. Rey's head fell flat on the grass beneath her.

She sat back up, rubbing the grass out of her hair frustratedly. She scowled at Kylo as she watched him stalk lithely back to the staircase leading up to the house.

Rey waiting a few long minutes before making her own way back into the house. The sun had nearly set, the sky a deep orange. She went into her bedroom, sensing Kylo in his as she hurriedly passed down the hall.

Sitting on her bed, she decided to try and heal her ankles further, imitating the way Kylo had hovered his hand just above the site of injury. It was, however, to no use; Rey wasn't sure how to tap into the healing power. Was it something that required the use of the dark side?

Suddenly, Rey sensed something nearby. Something familiar, but not Kylo. It wasn't an awareness; it was a _calling._

She got up slowly from her bed, silently making her way out of the bedroom, her hand tracing along the way as she tried to place the source of the presence.

Stepping into the foyer, she realized the Force was luring her outside, through the front doors. Rey tiptoed to the doors, opening them silently with the Force.

Outside was a dirt path that led from the front of the house to the thick forest ahead. Rey saw a shiny silver Flash Speeder parked out front of the house, reflecting the rich auburn of the sky above. Closing the doors behind her, she walked quickly to the Speeder, the calling of the Force growing stronger with each step.

A cloth sack was attached to the side of the Speeder, and it sagged; there was something inside.

Rey tentatively reached her hand into the bag, her eyes widening with recognition as her hand made contact with a slick metal surface.

She pulled out Luke's lightsaber— _her_ lightsaber—and marvelled at the object in her hand. A flood of emotion rippled through her, so happy so was to be reunited with the saber. Where had Kylo found this?

Rey suddenly felt Kylo's approaching presence, and she flipped around to see him standing in the front doorway. "How did y—"

"This is mine," Rey declared. "It _calls_ to me."

Kylo's shoulders tensed, but he stood in place. "It called to me once, too," he said, his voice rising. "Don't get too attached."

Rey's face twisted, trying to figure out whether or not he was lying. Kylo took a few calm steps towards her, then stopped, observing her closely. Remembering the Flash Speeder behind her, she took a step backwards, gripping the lightsaber tightly with both hands.

She suddenly felt conflicted, a confusing drive from the Force seeming to pull her both forwards and backwards. She glanced from her lightsaber to Kylo.

"I'm leaving," she suddenly declared, testing him. She took another step backwards, the back of her knee coming into contact with the bottom of the Speeder.

"And where are you going to go?" Kylo asked skeptically.

"To find my friends." With this, she turned to face the Speeder, breaking her gaze from Kylo at the last minute. She hopped from the ground and pulled herself onto the Speeder, looking at Kylo again.

"Your friends, they will turn against you," he declared, raising his eyebrows. Rey looked at him confusedly.

"What are you talking about?" She exclaimed, slipping the lightsaber back into the sack on the Speeder. "You're _lying_ to me."

"I am not," he said, taking another step towards her. "You cannot leave."

Rey clenched her fists onto the Speeder's steering wheel, hesitantly powering it on. She looked at Kylo angrily as he stepped closer.

"Stop," Rey snapped. "I will not listen to you. You're a _monster,"_ she said sharply. Rey watched as Kylo's face contorted with emotion, if just for a moment. She quickly hit the gas and began speeding down the path through the darkening forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Don't get too attached," huh? Is Kylo saying that to Rey or to himself? XD Looks like we're ending this chapter on a dark note, fam (or should I say, in a dark forest). What happened the last time Rey called Kylo Ren a 'monster?' I actually have this story completely finished, so I'll post a few chapters a day, but I'd still love to hear your reactions/thoughts. Thanks for reading!


	13. Omen

"This is it," Trojor growled as he pulled the large land speeder to a stop.

Poe shaded his eyes against the late afternoon sun as he blinked at the thick line of trees ahead of them. They had been traveling through open grassland all day with little protection from the sun, so Poe had thought that he would be eager to have some shade once they reached the forest; however, the tall, multicolored trees seemed to him foreboding, a seemingly pleasant disguise for what actually lurked within.

"You can't take us any farther?" Maz asked, peering up at Trojor. He leaned a large furry arm over the side of the speeder, considering. Poe watched appallingly as the catlike Trianii shoved a large toothpick between his massive fangs, eyeing the trees ahead with obvious distrust. Trojor spit out the toothpick over the side of the speeder and straightened himself.

"For you, I risk my life. We go farther," he declared, hitting the gas once again, steering them along the path and into the line of trees.

"Thank you, friend," Maz said, smiling and patting Trojor's muscular arm.

"So, what's the big deal about this forest again? Why doesn't anyone go in here?" Poe asked, eyeing the light blue grass and bright orange bushes along the ground.

Trojor glanced behind his shoulder at Poe. "This _forest_ is harmless," he said. "It is who lives here who is not."

"They're that hostile?" Maz asked inquiringly.

"Yes," Trojor grunted, nodding once. "Five friends came into this forest one day. Only one came back out," he said cryptically.

Poe furrowed his brows. _"What the hell?"_ He said under his breath, eyeing the three Organa soldiers who sat next to him. They all shrugged.

"Who lives here, then?" Maz asked.

"No one knows his name," Trojor said, "but everyone calls him the Prince."

"Well, we'll see about this damn _'prince,'"_ Poe spat. "I'll bet this joker's never met the power of the Order," he said, elbowing the soldier next to him.

"They say he has travelled far and wide," Trojor continued. "That he has great power."

"Do you know, Trojor?" Maz asked, narrowing her eyes. "Do you know of this power he has?"

Trojor paused to think as he focused on the slimming path ahead. "I hear he has the strength of many men. That he can set fire to buildings with just his hands," he said, lashing his clawed paw out in front of him in imitation.

Maz stared directly at Trojor for a few moments, lost in thought. She then lifted her goggles to rub her small eyes.

"Do you really think this guy could have Rey?" Poe asked Maz anxiously.

Maz narrowed her eyes, watching the path ahead. She pressed her hands to her temples, seeming to focus for a few moments before letting out a long breath. "I'm not sure. I do not sense her presence. But if what Trojor says about this _'Prince'_ is true, I very much hope he does not," she said.

After about twenty minutes of coasting through the forest, Trojor slowed the speeder once again to a stop. "I do not dare go farther," he grumbled. He placed a large paw onto Maz's tiny shoulder. "I wish you luck in finding your friend," he said, but his voice sounded more sympathetic than hopeful.

Poe, Maz, and the three soldiers climbed out of the speeder, and Maz nodded to Trojor, who nodded solemnly back.

"I will wait for you here until late tomorrow morning," Trojor called as they began making their way down the overgrown dirt path. "I will pray for your return."

Poe scrunched his face, amused at how someone as ferocious as Trojor would actually pray.

"We must be on our guard at all times," Maz warned, leading the group through the foliage. "Let's hope the Force is on our side," she added under her breath. "And Rey's."

….

Rey sped through the forest quickly, veering left and right through the trees. The sky was now dark, and she had lost the dirt path early on. She had been traveling for close to fifteen minutes, using the Force to sense her way along through the dark to avoid hitting the trunks of trees. The light on the front of the speeder was bright, but it still did not allow her to see very far ahead.

Soon, Rey spotted a very faint orange glow far ahead of her through the trees, seemingly on a hill. She slowed the speeder, peering up at the light. It looked like a small fire.

Rey wanted to get closer but was hesitant. She turned off the ignition on the speeder and hopped to the ground in the pitch blackness, slipping her lightsaber out of the cloth sack. She slowly began making her way through the trees towards the light.

The air was mild, but there was a cold breeze as Rey silently moved through the trees, holding out a hand to guide herself through the foliage with the Force.

As she walked, she thought she heard a distant humming behind her, gradually getting louder. She began to sense something in the air.

Rey froze, wrapping her mind around the familiar presence as it grew even nearer. She turned around, her eyes wildly searching the darkness, but she could not see him.

"You cannot go back to them," Kylo's deep voice called from nearby.

Rey glared into the blackness around her, trying to place Kylo's presence. She lifted the hilt of her lightsaber and ignited it in front of her for light. About twenty feet across from her, Rey saw Kylo's pale face faintly illuminated in the blue light of her saber.

"You can't stop me," Rey declared forcefully, gripping her saber with both hands.

Kylo's hair blew in the wind as he drew his own saber from his belt slowly, holding the hilt out diagonally from his body. "Don't make me," he said, his voice especially low.

Kylo began to move towards Rey as she moved backwards at his same pace, trying not to trip over the undergrowth.

"You call them your friends," Kylo sneered as he trudged towards her. "but they _will_ betray you."

Rey's brows knitted together in confusion as she locked onto his dark gaze. She couldn't believe he was actually continuing with this line of persuasion. Her breathing quickened as she struggled to move backwards, away from him.

Rey angled her lightsaber out towards Kylo in case he dared to breach the distance between them.

Kylo stopped, watching her for a moment, and then swiped his hand in her direction to use a Force move against her. Rey held a hand up just in time to block the action. _Maybe Luke hasn't taught me everything,_ Rey thought, _but he's taught me enough to hold my own in a fight._

Growing emboldened, Rey mimicked Kylo's action, intending to knock him backwards, but he too blocked her move.

"This is how it will be?" He bellowed, taking a heavy step towards her. As he did so, he flicked his wrist holding with the lightsaber, simultaneously igniting it. He shot her a black look, and again began moving towards her.

Rey decided to fight to stop backing away and fight. She met him halfway and began by blocking one of his wide swings. She then swiped at him with quick, jabbing motions, hoping to reach around his saber and knick his side.

But Kylo was quick on his feet, lithe in his movements as he dodged her attacks with fluid ease. As Rey continued her attempted swipes, Kylo picked up his tempo, displacing his defensive moves with offensive swings, his bright red lightsaber flipping left and right through the air with lightning-fast sweeps. He tossed his weapon effortlessly from one hand to the other between maneuvers.

Rey glared at him between hits, feeling something between hatred and rebellion flooding through her. She hit her lightsaber hard against his once, twice, sending sparks into the air. The growing wind whistled through the trees as they continued their assault for several long minutes, Kylo moving quickly to match Rey's every move, more quickly than he ever had before. Although Rey had also progressed with her ability to wield a lightsaber, Kylo's own increased proficiency in lightsaber dueling infuriated Rey.

Suddenly, as Rey made a jab at Kylo's wrapped arm, he flipped his body sideways, dodging her saber. He quickly took several large steps backwards.

Rey watched curiously as he slowly lowered his saber in front of him, his shoulders rising and falling in quick succession. His dark shadowy eyes were locked on hers, but they were not hostile.

Kylo quickly shook his head, letting his red lightsaber dangle at his side. "You truly don't believe me," he said, amazement in his voice. His eyes flickered to the grass below, which glowed red beneath his lightsaber.

Rey still held her own lightsaber in front of her, poised for another attack. She couldn't understand why he'd stopped fighting her. Thinking it was a ploy to get her to lower her own saber, Rey decided to lunge towards him. Kylo swung his saber up quickly to block her attack aimed at his chest. His hit was hard, forcing Rey to stumble backwards momentarily. As she did so, Kylo made an incredibly hard and lightning-fast swing at Rey's saber, knocking it cleanly out of her grasp. It landed in the grass about ten feet away, disengaged.

Rey froze in astonishment, but suddenly Kylo yanked her towards him with the Force. He immediately gripped her arm tightly as he simultaneously dropped his saber and pressed his other gloved hand to her forehead.

Rey's breath caught in her throat as her mind was filled with the same vision she'd had when she'd held Luke's lightsaber—but this time, it was somehow different. The perspective was seemingly hindered, her view more limited. It was still raining, but she felt protected by thick clothing, something over her head…

Rey realized this Force vision was different because this time it wasn't from her own perspective. _It was from Kylo's._ Rey was seeing through his mask, his eyes.

Just as before, she saw the countless bodies that were strewn across the ground. She saw a figure dressed in white before her— _herself_ —and she immediately felt flooded with emotion, but it was one unfamiliar to her.

Suddenly, a man jumped in front of her view, clearly positioned to hit vision-Rey over the head with some sort of large bludgeon. She—Kylo—felt the powerful, angry shove of the red lightsaber push through the man's midsection, and at the same time noticed the large Order of Organa symbol on the back of the man's jacket.

The man crumpled to the ground, and she saw vision-Rey looking up at her with confusion, fear, and vision-Rey began to move backwards. As she did so, Rey felt Kylo's determined intent to reach her, but vision-Rey kept moving backwards, until she stumbled over a body behind her. As vision-Rey fell to the ground, Rey say through Kylo's eyes that the dead bodies _all_ wore Organa insignias.

Suddenly, Rey's own eyes burst open as she looked straight into Kylo's. Kylo released his grip on her arm, and Rey staggered backwards, gasping for air. She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat racing in her chest. She fell back against a nearby tree trunk, using it to steady herself.

"What...what was _that?"_ She asked, exasperated.

Kylo leaned down and picked up his saber, igniting it and holding it at his side, presumably for light. "You know exactly what it was," he retorted, watching her. He took a step towards her, his expression growing concerned. "Calm yourself," he said soothingly.

Rey grew enraged at this request. "I just saw members of my _own_ Order trying to _kill_ me, and you're telling me to _calm_ myself?" She yelled.

"You've already had that vision. But apparently you weren't paying close enough attention," Kylo said, his face glowing red in the light cast from his saber.

Rey's mouth trembled as she struggled to grasp what she'd just seen. It was undoubtedly Kylo's perspective of her same vision, but she didn't want to believe it. She couldn't bring herself to try and understand it. Rey turned her head to the right, seeing the shiny metallic glint of her saber lying in the grass. She reached her arm out and pulled it back to her hand with the Force.

Grasping her saber tightly, she shot Kylo a resentful look, then pushed herself off of the tree trunk and began sprinting away, her saber hilt still held firmly within her hand. She raced towards the firelight she'd seen on the hill, away from Kylo who remained standing behind her, away from the horrible vision she'd just experienced.

Rey struggled for air as tears began to roll down her cheeks, her throat tightening with each labored breath.

As she neared the light, she leaned around the back of a large tree trunk as she observed the scene ahead of her.

In the middle of several makeshift tents, two men sat facing a large campfire, but their faces weren't familiar to Rey. She was about to lose all hope when she saw none other than Poe Dameron emerge from one of the tents, talking to one of the men.

Rey clambered around the tree and sprinted towards him as fast as he could, worried that he would disappear if she didn't reach him quickly enough.

"Poe!" She yelled as she ran towards him. Poe turned, his eyes widening in shock as he saw her just before she threw herself into his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and Rey allowed her tears to flow freely down her face, her sobs wracking her body.

"Oh my god, Rey... _Rey,"_ Poe exclaimed, clearly in shock. He buried his face into her neck as he squeezed her tightly. He then lifted her from the ground, swinging her around in a circle before setting her back onto the ground.

Poe held her at arm's length, a tear falling down his own cheek as he examined her face closely. "Where have you _been?_ Are you okay?"

Rey looked back up at him with large eyes, unable to speak. Poe carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks with his finger. He pulled her back into a tight embrace just as Maz came running over to see Rey.

….

Behind a tree not far from the campsite, Kylo Ren watched as Rey threw herself into the pilot's arms. He watched as the pilot embraced her tightly, swung her around, wiped the tears away from her face.

Forcing himself to turn away from the scene, Kylo stalked away. He couldn't help but ignite his saber, slashing down every tree that stood in his way.


	14. Fugitive

Rey stood in front of the window of the large starship, a strong feeling of déjà vu overcoming her. She felt as if her time on Zephus had been some kind of dream, wondering if she had really even been there just two nights before.

Since they'd left the planet, Rey had felt a faint but nagging void within her. She felt as if she'd left something behind, forgotten something, but she'd forced herself to suppress this feeling—at least, as much as she could.

After Rey had made it to their campsite, Poe and the three Organa soldiers had questioned her to no end about what had happened, where she'd been for the past week, but no words would formulate in her head; she'd been in too much shock to speak. Not only was she exhausted, but Rey had felt an emotional conflict within her as Kylo Ren's vision repeated in her mind. Maz had been the only one who perceived how overwhelmed Rey was, and, also sensing her fear, she had ordered the men to leave Rey alone and pack up the campsite immediately.

The entire group—Luke, Finn, and the other Organa soldiers included—were now traveling at full-speed to the Azalea system, to the Order of Organa's headquarters. Rey had told Maz, Luke, and the others only the basics of what had happened to her; the kidnapping, the drugs, Kylo Ren's rescue, her staying at his house, their lightsaber battle. She _hadn't_ told them of her near rape, the memory still too fresh, too real in her mind.

Rey also chose not to tell them about the alleged Force Bond and the vision that Kylo had thrust into her mind.

As the days passed by on the ship, Rey had avoided talking to everyone as much as she could. Poe, Finn, and the others sensed this, and they reluctantly stopped asking her questions about Kylo Ren. Even Luke had stopped inquiring.

It wasn't until several full days had passed on the ship that Rey decided to approach Maz. She found the small woman sitting on the edge of her bed in her sleep chamber, watching the stars pass by out the window.

"I was expecting you to come to me sooner or later," Maz said quietly without turning around.

Rey sat down in a chair across from Maz. "There's something I want to know more about," she said hesitantly.

"Go on," Maz prompted, still facing the other way.

"It's about Force Bonds, I don't know what you know about them. You won't believe this, but Kylo Ren claimed—"

"That you share one," Maz interrupted, turning around.

Rey's eyes widened in astonishment. "You _knew?"_

"I guessed," Maz said, rising from the bed. "I have been thinking a lot about our last conversation. About how you said that you both felt a connection to each other's minds. I suspected... but I didn't _actually_ think…" she trailed off.

"Why?" Rey asked. "Why a Force Bond? _He_ said it's something that either forms between a master and an apprentice, or someone forges it. Kylo claimed he didn't forge it."

"I can't imagine that he would," Maz said thoughtfully, then nodded. "I believe he is right, I do not think a Force Bond can arise any other way...so _someone_ must have forged it."

"But who? And when?" Rey asked, growing exasperated.

"Those are very good questions to which I do not know the answers," Maz said, shaking her head slowly. "But what I _do_ know is that a Force Bond is a very powerful thing. More powerful than you may currently realize."

Rey grimaced as she considered this."Well, I'm not going to let it get it me," she said, rising.

"Rey," Maz urged, "this is _not_ something you can fight. This is something that is a _part_ of you, whether you want to accept it or not. It is as much a part of you as it is of Ben."

Rey felt perturbed at hearing Kylo's real name. She couldn't think of him as having such a commonplace name as _Ben;_ it seemed so trite.

"How can I get rid of it?" Rey asked, frowning.

"The bond?" Maz asked incredulously. "You cannot."

"What? So I'm stuck with this forever?"

Maz sighed. "As I said, you cannot fight it. You and Ben share something very deep, something that even I do not fully understand, in my thousand years of knowledge about the Force...Whatever the reason is that this bond was formed, you must learn to embrace it."

Rey's thoughts raced as she tried to make sense of the fact that she couldn't get rid of the Force bond, of the small but distinct yearning she felt in her mind. "Maz, I'm afraid," Rey said.

"'Afraid?' That is not the Rey _I_ know. A Force Bond can bring you great strength, even wisdom. Perhaps in time you may come to realize this."

Rey nodded, not fully believing what Maz said, and left.

….

"Leia," Rey exclaimed as she met the General's open arms. After about a week and a half of speedy travel, Rey, Luke, and the others had made it back to the Order of Organa's headquarters in the Azalea system. Leia had requested to speak to Rey in private almost immediately.

"Rey, Luke and Maz have told me what you have been through. I am so very sorry," Leia said, breaking from the hug. Rey thought she looked frail, weaker than before. "They told me that you were with my son," she said, her warm eyes searching Rey's.

"Yes, with Ben," Rey said gently, sitting across from Leia in the small meeting room.

Leia looked pained, and Rey felt an overwhelming pang of sympathy for her, she who had lost her son and, in turn, her lover.

"But, Leia...he saved me," Rey said, wanting to bring her some consolation. "He helped bring me back to health."

Leia's brows knitting together in surprised concern. "He did?" She asked.

Rey nodded. "He _cared_ for me," she continued, reflecting on Kylo's subtle but discernible concern for her. "And then...he let me go."

Leia seemed lost in thought as she stared at the wall past Rey. "Perhaps he really is not so far gone into the dark side," Leia said. "He at least is no longer working with the First Order...or under Snoke," she added.

Rey tilted her head in confusion. "What? How do you know that?"

"We have some sources that are able to give us information about the First Order, though the information we receive is very limited," she said, sighing. "About a year ago we received several reports that Ben had gone missing from the First Order. All this time, Snoke has been looking for him."

"So...he's gone _rogue?"_

Leia nodded. "Yes. But now you've found him."

….

"The time has come for us to establish a new Galactic Senate," Leia declared, looking around at the group of commanders and leaders within the Order of Organa.

About a month had passed since Rey's arrival to the Organa headquarters on the lush planet of Trora, where she'd slowly begun to return to her former self. Poe and Finn were of course ecstatic that she was no longer so quiet and reclusive, and she had spent most of the past month with them.

Luke, however, had remained noticeably distant from her. Rey wondered whether this was because of his realization of her and Kylo's Force Bond, or due to his overall distress over the attacks that had begun to occur on the Organa Star Fleet.

"The attacks on the Star Fleet are becoming more frequent—and more deadly," Leia continued. "We need an organized, formal governing body to make military decisions as well as to enforce the law in the star systems within our control." Leia's serious gaze moved to Rey.

"As the Chancellor of the Order, I would like to elect Rey Kenobi as a member of the new Senate, to preside over our own Azalea system. Of course, _if_ she accedes to this nomination," Leia said, nodding towards Rey.

Rey's eyes widened and her mind raced as everyone's eyes were on her. A _senator?_ Of the Organa _headquarters?_ This was, of course, a major honor, one that she herself did not think she deserved. But Rey wondered how she would possibly be able to balance both her position as a senator and her apprenticeship under Luke.

"I gratefully accept this position," Rey suddenly declared, to her own surprise.

Leia smiled at her as would a proud mother, and Rey watched as everyone else around the table smiled, too. They had clearly been eager for her to accept the position.

Rey smiled to herself, flushed with gratitude at this newly bestowed honor. But a part of her was upset as she realized that she could no longer be a full-time student of Luke's. Her true desire was to master her skills with the Force, to serve the Order of Organa as a fully-fledged Jedi Knight.

Right after the council meeting, Poe and Finn had both ran up and hugged Rey, giving her their ardent congratulations, but she could only bring herself to smile at them half-heartedly.

...

Later that evening, Rey found Luke speaking to Admiral Ackbar in the dining hall, and she stared at him, signaling him to speak with her. He said something to the Admiral, who nodded, and Luke made his way over to her. His expression was solemn.

"Rey, congratulations again on your new position," Luke said, but his tone was flat. It was clear he knew what she wanted to discuss.

"Luke, how am I to continue my training if I am to oversee the Order's headquarters here, if I am to preside over three whole planets?"

"Rey, this is something I had been meaning to discuss with you, but I feared that if I told you beforehand, you would have declined the position." He sighed heavily, looking into her eyes concernedly. "Rey, I can no longer take you as my apprentice. I cannot teach you full-time, as I had before."

Shock spread across Rey's face. "Wait—you mean, you aren't going to teach me anymore, at _all?_ But how am I going to learn more about the Force, to stop the First Order, to—"

"There are other ways to fight the First Order. The most important things right now are protect our star systems and to spread democracy. The Force will still work in ways of its own."

"But we need greater protection, we _need_ Jedi," Rey protested. "They're the most powerful."

"What we need is a government. Our Star Fleet is already powerful."

"But not powerful _enough._ Fighter pilots are dying every day, even as we speak," Rey said. She suddenly thought of Poe, wondering how long it would be until he himself would be sent to the front lines of the brewing battle.

"Rey, you must listen to me. The Star Fleet is what we have, and so far it's been a sufficient form of defense. I attempted to train many Jedi through the last Jedi Order, and— _what_ came out of it?" He asked, looking at Rey knowingly. "I will not form a new Jedi Order, and I will no longer train you as a Jedi. You have already learned a lot, and you should be content with just this. I will not risk having to put you in the face of danger."

Rey saw that Luke was visibly shaken, his eyes moist with developing tears. Not for the first time, Rey felt that Luke looked at her as a daughter, filled with the concern and love of a father. He sighed again and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I know you will excel as a senator of the Order, Rey." With this, he walked back to Admiral Ackbar, leaving Rey despondent.

….

About two months had passed since Rey's election as Senator of the Azalea system, and she had been bogged down with organizing meetings with military generals, overseeing the training of new Star Fleet pilots, and assigning patrols to new and distant star systems, all while under the careful direction of Leia. She felt as if she had been transferred from the guidance of Luke to Leia, from Jedi apprentice to student of politics.

Rey felt as if the bulk of her duty as Senator was to maintain peace and civility within her own system, having to listen to residents' complaints and fulfill rather repetitive tasks. While Rey was content with what she was doing, she continually felt that her life was lacking, her innate desire to learn more about the Force unsatisfied. She knew deep in her heart that this yearning would never go away.

One day, after many long and mundane meetings, she found herself knocking at the guest room of the headquarter's base on Trora. Rey heard soft footsteps before Maz Kenata appeared in the open doorway.

"Ah, I was wondering when you would come to me again, Senator," Maz said brightly. She had come to spend a few days on Trora. Maz gestured for Rey to enter the room. "How _is_ your new position, by the way?" She asked, looking at Rey curiously.

Rey felt quite sure that Maz already knew the true answer. "Well, it demands a lot of time, more than I thought it would. I mean, I know of course it's an important job."

"But, how do you like it? Do you enjoy it?"

Rey hesitated before answering, and hung her head. "Oh, Maz, I'm so honored that Leia gave this position to me, but it's _not_ what I want. I'm...I'm not happy," she admitted, looking glumly over at Maz.

Maz cracked a smile for a moment. "Hah. I knew it. As soon as we had left Zephus those several months ago, Luke told me he was going to stop training you. He is afraid of the Force Bond you share with Ben. That this bond will bring you to the dark side."

Rey scowled. "Does he really think I'd join the dark side?" she asked incredulously.

_"I_ know you wouldn't, Rey. And Luke originally didn't think Ben, would, either," Maz said, looking at Rey knowingly.

Rey thought for a moment. "Why _did_ Ky—Ben join the dark side? Wasn't it Snoke?"

Maz thought for a few moments before answering. "Yes. That, among other things, I believe. Snoke is incredibly powerful in the Force. But so is Ben. So are _you."_

"Leia said Ben is no longer with the First Order, with Snoke," Rey said.

"She is correct," Maz said, looking at Rey expectantly. She then shook her finger up at Rey. "You weren't born to be a mere _senator,_ Kenobi. I _know_ what it is you want, what you desire most truly. I see it in your eyes, child. And you sense as well as I that the Force is needed to break up the First Order. That only a trained user of the Force can stop Snoke."

"How... _how_ did you know?" Rey asked, feeling a deep stir within her. She sat down on the bed behind her, bewildered.

Maz ignored Rey's question. "You want to learn more about the ways of the Force. You want to hone your skills. But," Maz continued passionately, "you need a teacher."

Rey stared at her for a few silent moments, allowing Maz's words to sink in, her breath quickening. She rose from the bed, looking down at Maz determinedly. "I know what I need to do."

….

_Somewhere far from the Organa headquarters..._

"Sir, we have word of the location of Kylo Ren," Captain Phasma said as she approached General Hux aboard the Finalizer Star Destroyer. "There are reports that rebel forces have come into contact with him in the Narrok system, a small planet called Zephus."

Hux scowled at the ground upon hearing his rival's name. He had been overjoyed when Kylo had suddenly gone missing nearly a year ago, hoping the capricious figure would never return.

"Send a large fleet to search the planet immediately. Waste no time." Hux reluctantly declared, looking up at Phasma. "I shall notify the Supreme Leader."

Hux made his way through the ship to the large communication chamber. He signaled on the long-distance transmission and waited for Snoke's giant hologram to appear.

Several minutes later, as Snoke's form flickered on before him, Hux strained to steady himself; the gargantuan figure never failed to send a cold shiver down his spine.

"General Hux," Snoke greeted slowly in his booming voice.

Hux bowed. "Supreme Leader. We have word of Kylo Ren in the Outer Rim, we are sending troops there as we speak."

Snoke narrowed his eyes, nodding once. "When we have secured him, bring him _directly_ to me," he snarled, and with that his hologram disappeared.

Hux nodded at the now empty chamber before turning on his heels, stomping out of the room. _Finally,_ he thought, smirking to himself. _Kylo Ren will be crushed._


	15. Outsider

Kylo Ren had left Zephus in his command shuttle immediately upon making it back to his hideout on his other flash speeder. The ship wasn't very large, but certainly large enough to make it difficult for a solitary person to manage. It was designed as a transport shuttle, intended for short bursts of travel over limited distances.

Thus, Kylo was forced to stop off on planets every few days to fill up the fuel tank, which frustrated him. While on these planets, he wore a scarf over his nose and mouth as well as his hooded cloak, just as he had when he went into the towns on Zephus. He needed to keep from potentially being recognized by a member of the First Order or one of its many spies.

Kylo had wanted to get as far away from Zephus as soon as possible; he'd felt Luke's presence on Zephus as soon as he'd arrived, and he knew it was possible that Rey had, too, so he'd forged a Force field around the general vicinity of the forest surrounding the house, so that Luke wouldn't be able to sense her presence anymore, and vice versa.

He felt a sudden flash of anger as he remembered the pilot holding Rey, consoling her. And the pilot had been more than happy to assuage her, of _that_ Kylo had no doubt; he hadn't needed to read to the man's mind to know how he felt for her. It made him sick just thinking about it. How could a mere _pilot_ think himself worthy of someone so strong in the Force?

Just over a month ago, while purchasing fuel for his ship, he'd overheard a man speaking to another about a new Senate that had been formed within the Order of Organa. Kylo had listened with keen interest as he'd heard that Rey had been elected Senator of the Azalea system. He'd had— _still_ had—mixed feelings about this: he thought that Rey's talent with the Force was clearly being squandered, grossly so, but at least this would keep her out of trouble.

Kylo had also heard word of Leia, who'd been designated as the Chancellor of the new government. He couldn't help but wonder how his mother was, if she was in good health. But it was obvious to him that she had to hate him with a passion now, after the death of Han. _If only..._ he began thinking, but Kylo pushed his feelings aside. He accepted that his mother would never feel compassion for him now.

Nor would Rey, who seemed to so adamantly detest him. It was difficult, frustrating even for Kylo to accept this, but he didn't blame her.

Unclenching his fists, Kylo let out a long embittered breath after reflecting on Rey. He decided to attempt to contact his Knights once again. Surely he had to be within the vicinity of at least _one_ of them by now.

In the front pilot section of the ship, Kylo quickly flipped the communication signal on and off in short, regular bursts, so as to avoid alerting other unwanted craft to his transmission.

He continued this process for several long minutes, until— _wait_ —something was intercepting his signal. He immediately turned his transmission off, but a communication alert was flashing on the communicator screen. An all-too familiar alert. _No._

Kylo froze for a moment as his mind raced, sweat beading at his hairline, deciding what to do. There was of course no escape pod from a transport shuttle such as this, so he couldn't leave. Kylo cussed under his breath as he paced back and forth in front of the control board, thinking, his fists clenching at his sides.

Suddenly, a large red shape on his radar caught his attention, and he lept forward to look at the screen more closely. Several smaller red shapes were flagging behind it, all headed directly towards him. _Dammit._

Several alarms blared as his ship's engines were abruptly cut up, but he had anticipated this. Kylo could only wait in great trepidation as the large Finalizer came into view through the window ahead, along with several TIE fighters.

As the ships approached, Kylo began to unfold a plan in his mind. He'd aided in designing this ship, so he knew that it had a dormant reserve power storage separate from the main engines. When switched on, this power source could potentially override the hack on his engines and allow him to jump into hyperspeed, if he were quick about it. It wasn't a foolproof plan by any means, but it was the only chance he had.

Kylo froze as his communicator flashed, staring at the blinking red light. _Hux,_ Kylo thought begrudgingly. He stepped forward and turned it on, but the blood drained from his face as it was not General Hux's voice that he heard over the speaker.

"Kylo Ren," a deep and ancient voice growled. "We have searched the galaxy far and wide for you."

Kylo swallowed, his mind racing as he tried to think of something to say. His voice was caught in his throat.

"I had sent General Hux and Phasma to find you, but alas, you had already left your little hideaway. So I decided to come and find you myself. I knew you had weakness, but I didn't expect you to become a _traitor._ Not after having completed your training. Not after having killed your father," Snoke hissed.

Kylo attempted to flip the communicator off, but even as he did so, the speaker remained on. A surge of adrenaline flared through his body. "I did what was necessary," Kylo stated, trying to keep his voice even, firm.

"Where's the _girl?"_ Snoke inquired, his speech slow, almost casual. "You have not only defected from my leadership, but you have also failed to complete a _simple_ task."

Kylo scowled down at the speaker as if it were Snoke's very face. "I don't have her," he snapped. His breath caught in his throat as he suddenly felt an overwhelming, shrinking power overcome his body, painfully forcing itself into his mind. He shut his eyes, gripping the edge of the control board, straining to keep Snoke out. But Snoke was too powerful; he accessed almost everything in Kylo's mind. _Almost_ everything.

"So you _have_ seen her," Snoke said observantly. "Quite closely, may I add. I see you admire her strength, her power. Among other things."

Kylo hung his head as he held fast against Snoke, blocking him with all of his energy.

"Your defenses are strong, Kylo, but not strong enough. Resistance is futile. I see…Ah, yes. A bond. _I_ see it. It is weak, but...you want it to grow stronger. You do not see the girl as an enemy, no...that is clear."

"Get _out,"_ Kylo snapped, breathing heavily and with great effort. He suddenly was hit with memories reaching back to his childhood—Snoke's presence in his mind, speaking to him, _persuading_ him.

"You have compassion for Rey," Snoke continued. "You feel that she is not unlike yourself. You long for her company...growing soft, I see. I've always seen that weakness within you. From your _father."_

Kylo hissed under his breath, gripping the control board with all of his might. Snoke wasn't going to leave his head, not until his command shuttle was in the loading port of the Finalizer, that much was clear.

Continuing to block Snoke as much as he could, Kylo prepared himself, tried to steady his mind as much as he could. Then, as quickly and with as little forethought as he could, Kylo lept to the side of the control board, activating the reserve power, igniting the engines as he simultaneously yanked back the hyperspeed power lever.

"You _traitor!"_ Snoke's voice crackled over the intercom as the command shuttle lept forward. But just as the ship was about to break into hyperspeed, a stunningly powerful surge of energy shot through at Kylo, knocking him to the ground, leaving him writhing in pain before his mind went completely black.

….

Kylo winced as he blinked awake, taking in his surroundings. He was lying on the floor of the pilot's room in his command shuttle, his head tucked into his chest. He rolled onto his side but sucked in his breath as a jarring pain pounded in his head, feeling incredibly weak.

He attempted to steady his breathing as he pressed a hand against the floor, carefully pushing himself up, and as he slowly sat up, he froze as he realized there was a familiar presence in the air.

He blinked in astonishment as Rey stepped out from around the corner in front of him, her blue lightsaber ignited before her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we have more of an inside perspective from Kylo Ren, why do you think he broke from Snoke since he a) completed his training and b) killed his father, as Snoke said? What does Kylo seem to think of Rey? Does he himself even really know?
> 
> Thanks for reading guys!


	16. You Again

"You," Rey huffed warily as she pointed her bright blue lightsaber at Kylo Ren's chest. "Don't try anything."

Kylo blinked up at her disorientedly. He remained sitting against the control panel desk, his long legs jumbled out in front of him. He was clearly in a state of shock to see her standing before him.

The two stared at each other for several silent moments before Rey slowly lowered her lightsaber to her side, unengaging it with the assumption that the situation was not hostile.

Rey tilted her head and narrowed her eyes as she noticed that the sides of Kylo's neck appeared to be matted with dried blood, trailing down from his ears. His temples also looked purplish, bruised.

"How...did you _find_ me?" Kylo blurted. He seemed to notice the line of her gaze, as he scowled and rubbed a hand against one side of his neck. He observed the dried blood that was now smeared across his palm. He fixated on his hand as if in a shocked stupor.

"You _attacked_ me," Rey snapped, stepping towards him. "You broke into my head, and I felt...I felt your presence, so strongly that I could sense it _lightyears_ away. From that I was able to track down your location," she explained, her face growing red. "Was _that_ your way of trying to contact me? By trying to _kill_ me?"

Kylo's dark eyes flickered back up to hers, his now trembling hand still held before him. His gaze was darkly serious, but not angry. "That was not me," he said slowly.

"What? That doesn't make any sense."

Kylo ignored her puzzlement. "How did you get here? Who are you with?" He asked, alarm flashing across his features.

"I came here alone, I overrode your security system to dock my ship to yours," she explained quickly. _"Why_ did you contact me?"

"I _didn't,"_ he urged.

"What do you mean?"

"It was Snoke," Kylo said, his voice quieting. His eyes searched her face for recognition.

Rey squinted at the floor, taking a moment to think. "How did Snoke get into _my_ mind?"

"He didn't, he broke into _mine,"_ Kylo stated, shifting his weight on the ground as he sat. Rey noticed he flinched as he did so. "Perhaps because our minds are, well, _bonded,_ you felt it too," he postulated.

Rey closely observed Kylo's exhausted expression, the blood, the bruised sides of his forehead. It seemed that he had experienced something far more intense, more painful than she had. "So, what you felt because of what Snoke did...that _transferred_ to me?" She questioned.

He nodded slowly, closing his eyes as if to rest momentarily.

"How do you know it was Snoke? I thought you weren't working with him anymore."

Kylo opened his eyes and looked abruptly up at her, shaking his head. "I'm not," he said, searching her eyes. "How did you know that?"

"Well...Leia told me," Rey said cautiously, watching his expression. He stared at Rey for a silent moment, his eyebrows subtly raising. She sensed that he was about to inquire more about this, but then he frowned, shifting his gaze as if suddenly realizing something.

"Where are we? How far are we from the Drodoc system?" He asked, a note of apprehension in his voice.

"The what?" Rey asked, confused.

Kylo ignored her and turned his body. He slowly, awkwardly stood, gripping the edge of the control board for support to pull himself upright. Rey observed that his strained movements suggested that he was very weak. Kylo began to survey the control screens as he hunched over the desk.

"So _Snoke_ did this to you?" Rey asked, still astonished, but Kylo didn't respond; he appeared to be engrossed in logging in coordinates on the main control screen. "What exactly did he do to you?"

"Nothing permanent," Kylo said flatly, continuing to type onto the screen. Rey watched him as he continually rubbed his head. _He must still be in pain,_ she thought.

Kylo turned his head over his shoulder and looked at her. "Who knows you're here, with me?" He asked, his voice concerned.

"No one. No one knows. I left without telling anyone," she said, looking at him seriously. What she told him was almost true; she _hadn't_ told anyone before she'd left the Azalea system. Only Maz knew where she had gone.

Kylo's thoughtful gaze remained on her a silent moment, as if deciding whether or not believe her, and then he turned back to the control board. "I'm undocking your ship," he declared.

"Wait, what? You're just going to dump it out here?" Rey asked, and she subsequently heard a faint thud, the sound of the command shuttle's docking system releasing from her ship. "That is property of the Order of Organa, it —"

"I don't quite care," Kylo snapped, shooting her a dark look. "It's not as fast as this ship, it's useless."

Kylo set the engines on the ship, and the shuttle began moving speedily through space.

"Where are we going?" Rey asked, stepping towards him.

"Away from here," Kylo said without looking at her, and he began walking slowly but determinedly out of the small control room.

Rey shot his back a heated look and stepped up to the control panel, studying the coordinates he'd logged into the system. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized them immediately. "Wait—no, why are we going to the _Azalea_ system? That's where I came from!" She exclaimed, following quickly after him into the central area of the ship.

"Precisely," he said, looking back at her as he stopped. "I'm taking you back."

"No, you aren't, I'm not going back," she insisted.

"You have a job, don't you, _Senator?"_ He taunted, turning his body to face her.

"It's useless for me to stay there. I don't want to go back."

"Then where do you propose to go?" He asked haughtily, crossing his arms.

Rey hesitated before speaking. "Well, with you," she said frankly, her voice lowering.

Kylo's eyebrows quivered. "What? You can't stay with—why would you…" His voice trailed off in his state of confusion, his arms dropping to his sides.

Rey sighed, folding her own arms across her chest and avoiding his gaze. "I...I need your help," she said. She looked back up at him, judging his reaction closely.

His brows furrowed together, his dark eyes focused on hers. "Help you? You want me to _help_ you?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"And how— _why_ would I do that?"

"You've done it before," Rey said matter-of-factly. She raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to snap back at her.

Kylo clenched his jaw as he stared down at her. He sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. He looked as if all of his energy had been drained out of him.

"I want to learn more about the Force... _everything._ Luke's refused to teach me anymore, and...I _have_ to learn."

Kylo watched her silently, his gaze shifting.

"I don't _want_ to be a Senator," Rey said, shaking her head. She looked up searchingly into his dark eyes. "I need you to help train me."

Kylo's eyebrows raised slightly, his mouth opening to speak, but he hesitated. "I can't.

"Why not? Are you retracting your previous offer?" She asked, remembering their first lightsaber fight in the snow on the frozen Star Killer base.

"That was—things were different," Kylo stammered, shaking his head.

"You could teach me about both sides of the Force," Rey said, her eyes growing bright as she thought. "You've had training in both, you could show me—"

"No," Kylo stated, rubbing his temples frustratedly. "I'm taking you back, this isn't going to work." His voice seemed more level, and Rey sensed his willpower might be cracking.

"Why not?" She demanded, stepping towards him. She was surprised as he took a slight step backwards, his mouth opening.

"It's too dangerous," he said, his expression revealing his obvious unease.

_"Dangerous?_ How so?"

"Dangerous for you," Kylo said. His brows lowered, shadowing his dark eyes. "If you're with me, it will just make it that much easier for Snoke to find you."

"Snoke's...looking for me?" Rey asked, puzzled.

"Yes. For us both. He wants to use us for our power, harvest it. I realized this a long time ago, I just never could bring myself to accept this," he said, his gaze drifting. For a moment he seemed lost in his own thoughts, until he brought his dark eyes back to hers. His gaze seemed to have softened. "You have to go back."

Rey stared up into his eyes, intrigued at the expression on his face. Was it _concern?_

Kylo stepped towards her and swiftly lifted his hand towards her head, but Rey lifted her hand just in front of his to block his Force move. "I _told_ you not to try anything," she snapped, her other hand gripping the hilt of her lightsaber at her hip. "I'm _not_ going back there, I don't belong there."

Kylo's eyes focused on her hand on the lightsaber as he dropped his hand back to his side, letting out a short breath. His expression grew flat once again.

"You _will_ train me. It's our only hope against the First Order, against Snoke," Rey urged. She narrowed her eyes. "Don't you want to see his influence, his power taken away?"

Kylo scowled at her. "Don't be so sure of where my loyalties lie, _Rey,"_ he snapped. "And even if I _were_ to train you, I don't know what makes you think you'd be powerful enough to take down Snoke."

"That's why we'd both do it...together," Rey said tentatively. Kylo looked at her skeptically, but she kept firm. "Our bond has to mean _something,_ and I think it might have to do with taking down Snoke."

Kylo furrowed his brows, his gaze shifting to his side as he thought for a few moments. He sighed, hanging his head and running a hand slowly through his dark hair, distraught.

"If you don't turn this ship around, _I_ will," Rey declared, and was about to turn back towards the pilot control room when Kylo spoke up.

"I'll do it," he said. "But I'm _not_ training you in the Force," he said as he walked past her.

Rey's eyes remained on his back until he had turned the corner and was out of view. _We'll see._


	17. Returning the Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Rey's decided to team up with Kylo Ren on her own volition. But will he agree to train her in the Force? Thank you for reading, Padawans! I'd love would love to hear some more of your thoughts. I'll post another chapter later today.

Rey stood next to Kylo's tall figure in the command shuttle control room, watching the bright stars that sailed past the ship.

"Where are we heading now?" Rey asked, observing the side of Kylo's pale face as his gaze remained trained before him. He looked especially sallow, a faint purplish coloring developing under his weary eyes.

"East," he said cryptically.

Rey leaned over and observed the coordinates he'd logged into the ship's autopilot system, but she didn't recognize them.

"I have to stop off for fuel soon. This ship doesn't carry much, it isn't intended for long-distance travel," Kylo explained.

Rey nodded, then returned her gaze to the passing stars ahead. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, feeling bored and somewhat awkward in their silence. She felt that the air between them was discernibly tense.

There was no where else on the ship for her to venture; the space within the ship itself was very limited, almost claustrophobic. The command shuttle consisted of only the control room in which they currently stood, a storage room and a small bathroom at the back of the craft, as well as a windowless central chamber, filled only with a few seats lined along the back wall.

"Are we going someplace far away?" Rey asked, wondering how long they'd be staying in the cramped quarters of the ship.

"You could say that," Kylo said, still not turning to look at her.

"Well, if we _are,_ why don't we use something that is intended for long-distance travel?" She asked. "We could trade this one in for a—"

Kylo turned his face momentarily to shoot her an annoyed glare. _"No,"_ he said, his tone one of childlike defiance.

"But don't you think that would make more sense?" Rey pressed. She studied the side of his shadowy face, watching his brows lowering.

"We're keeping this one," he stated firmly.

"I didn't see any sleeping quarters on this thing," Rey muttered.

Kylo looked at her askance, frustration marking his dark features. "That's because there are none," he retorted, shifting his gaze back to the window.

Rey glared at him, puzzled. She suddenly realized that she might be able to get into his head in his weakened state. She began to press into his mind, sensing the pain he felt in his head, the lasting infliction from Snoke's attack.

Kylo shot her a look, but then shut his eyes and seemed to wince as he pressed a hand against his head. He leaned forward over the desk, his hand still pressed against his forehead, clearly straining to keep her out. She sensed that his pain increased as she forged her way into his mind.

"Don't, _don't,"_ he said, and Rey was surprised at his almost pleading tone. She immediately retracted from his mind, but she'd found what she was looking for. Kylo let out a strained breath.

"You just don't want to give up this ship because it's _yours,"_ Rey gibed. "You're fond of it and you want to keep it." She cracked a half-smile, amused at his childish possessiveness.

He straightened himself, frowning down at her in annoyance. "That's not why. It's reliable, it's fast...there's no other ship like it."

Rey raised an eyebrow, her half-smile turning skeptical. "I've seen the truth, you don't have to admit it," she taunted.

Kylo glared at her a moment longer before abruptly turning away, leaving the control room. He clearly wasn't used to dealing with being questioned or ridiculed; to Rey, it didn't seem like Kylo quite knew how to react.

Curious, Rey moved over to the autopilot screen to search the virtual map of the coordinates they were heading towards. She expanded the map as much as she could, marveling at its detailed depiction of the galaxy and all of its systems.

Rey's eyes trailed along the line of their logged course, noticing that it was heading them towards the East, as Kylo had said, in the opposite direction of the Outer Rim.

The line of travel continued well past the galaxy core, and Rey's eyes began to widen as she saw that their point of destination really consisted of no exact _point_ at all; they were headed to a nearly blank, unmapped section of the galaxy: the Unknown Regions.

This was the mysterious and unowned territory where Starkiller Base had been, where the First Order itself had been rumored to have been started. Why would Kylo take them _there?_

Scowling down at the map, Rey was lost in deep thought and confusion. She was sure he wasn't taking her to Snoke. Fairly sure. But he _had_ betrayed Luke, and subsequently his own father—would he now betray her?

Rey left the control room in a flush of growing concern and turned the corner into the central chamber of the ship, intending to interrogate Kylo. However, when she stepped into the larger room, she saw him in one of the chairs at the back wall, his figure motionless. He was leaned into the side of the chair, his dark, tousled hair obscuring most of his sallow face. To Rey's astonishment, Kylo seemed to have fallen asleep.

She stared at his lanky figure curiously, wondering how he could have passed out in such a short amount of time. Perhaps he had been more mentally and physically drained than she had discerned.

Rey watched him from across the changer, intrigued at him in this placid state. She pressed gently into his mind, not wanting to wake him. She faintly sensed his pain, the throbbing in his head, the ringing in his ears, all of which Rey realized was not unlike what she herself had experienced after the suppressant drugs had been injected into her on Zephus.

Rey glanced at the cold metal floor as she felt a small sense of empathy, realizing the extent of the injury that Snoke must have inflicted on him. She herself had felt great pain in the moment that Snoke had attacked Kylo, so sudden and intense that it had knocked her to her knees. Her ship had at the time been travelling through an asteroid field, and she'd nearly crashed as she struggled to pilot the vessel through the floating obstacles.

Sighing, Rey moved closer to Kylo, still keeping some distance between them. She closed her eyes, holding her palm out in the direction of his head. She wasn't sure exactly _what_ she was doing, but she felt compelled to try something, almost instinctively.

Rey calmed her mind, accessing the Force, gathering all of her strength. She tried to focus on only positive, light thoughts as she began sending her own energy through her outstretched palm, towards Kylo.

She continued this for several minutes, focusing on directing her energy until she lowered her arm back to her side with a quick breath, reopening her eyes. Her breathing had become labored, and exhaustion suddenly overcame her.

Rey backed out of the room, her lids heavy, leaving Kylo to rest. She walked dazedly back into the control room, flopping down into one of the two comfortable pilot's seats, deciding to take a nap herself.

When Rey blinked awake, her eyes focused ahead at a scene of glistening stars, a sliver of a large red planet in the bottom left corner of the window.

Rey straightened herself, realizing that the ship had stopped above this red planet. She feebly stood up, rubbing her eyes. She turned, surveying the control room, but she was alone in it.

She felt a sudden sense of alarm, wondering if Kylo had left the ship, and felt frantically for his presence. She let out a breath as she sensed him nearby, probably in the central chamber. Rey rubbed her eyes frustratedly, unsure of why she why she had reacted so.

She headed into the central room and saw that the sliding door to the storage room at the back of the chamber was open. She walked towards it, stopping in the doorway as she saw a cloaked Kylo standing before a small shelving unit, pulling on a black glove.

He looked over at her, his eyebrows raising slightly. Rey noticed that his face seemed to have renewed color, the purplish hues that had previously marked his eyes and temples much more faint.

He straightened himself, watching her carefully as he slipped on his other glove.

"Where are we? I thought you'd left, to that planet we're orbiting," Rey said.

Kylo tilted his head. "And what, just leave you here, on my ship?" He asked.

Rey opened her mouth to speak, but was at a loss for words. Kylo stared at her a moment longer before turning back towards the shelf, pulling out another cloak, a pair of gloves, and a large neck wrap, and he handed these items to her.

She hesitantly took them, looking at him questioningly.

"You'll need to disguise yourself," He said matter-of-factly. "This place is safer than Zephus...but not by much."

Rey nodded and turned back into the central area, setting the clothing down onto a chair. She was surprised that Kylo had just assumed that she was going with him down to the planet; she'd expected an argument about it, as had happened before with Poe and Finn, when they had wanted her to stay on the ship while they got fuel on Zephus. Rey marvelled at the differences in these same situations.

She began to pull on the cloak, gloves, and neck wrap, all of which were too large on her; they'd obviously been made for a larger, more masculine figure. Rey remembered how she'd looked in the mirror at herself in Kylo's clothes, how comically overwhelming they had been on her smaller frame. She imagined that she didn't look much different now.

Rey began adjusting the large neck wrap to leave slack to cover her face as Kylo entered the common area, a wrap set loosely around his own neck. He paused to observe her, tilting his head slightly.

"What?" Rey asked, but Kylo merely shook his head, continuing on into the control room.

After adjusting the scarf, she followed, trying to keep the excess cloth of the cloak behind her to avoid treading on it with her boots.

She watched as Kylo reignited the engines, directing the ship directly towards the planet as they began their descent. As he steered, he glanced back over his shoulder at her. "Watch your back at all times here," he said, turning to focus back on directing the ship. "Use the Force to keep all of your senses aware."

Luke's warning to not use the Force reverberated in Rey's head, and she thought about this for a silent moment before speaking.

"How exactly do I do that?" She asked Kylo, stepping up to his side. She looked up at him inquiringly.

Kylo turned his face, clearly hesitating to speak as his dark eyes focused onto hers. "I'll show you."

As the command shuttle touched down on the large planet, which Kylo had said was called Stoltara, Rey observed the red sand that stretched before them, a village with low buildings on the horizon. The sand seemed to glisten amidst the light of the setting sun, which was faded by the thick, cloudy atmosphere.

She turned to watch Kylo, who was focused on locking the landing gear in place and turning off the ship's engines. His thick black hair hung off of as his forehead as he leaned over the control board, turning switches and setting on some sort of security system.

When he finished, he glanced over at her, noticing that she'd been watching him. Rey quickly diverted her gaze back to the window before her.

Rey reached into her cloak and put a hand on the hilt of her lightsaber, wondering if she should leave it behind on the ship. She didn't want to risk losing it again, as she had on Zephus.

"Do you plan on using that on me right now?" Kylo asked, and Rey's eyes widened as she looked up at him. His eyebrows were raised at the hand on her lightsaber.

Rey shook her head, dropping her hand. "No. I don't."

"Make sure to keep that hidden. Unless, of course, you're planning on fighting me," he said mockingly, and he turned to leave the control room.

Rey tilted her head as she watched him turn the corner, surprised at his casual teasing. She followed him to an exit door at the side of the ship, located in front of one of the ship's vertical wings.

Kylo glanced back at her as he waved his hand at the door, opening it with the Force, and stepped down onto the red sand below.

Rey remained standing in the open doorway of the ship, peering ahead at the remote, seemingly small town. She felt Kylo's gaze, and she shifted her gaze to see him looking looking up at her expectantly, his dark hair blowing across his forehead in the warm breeze. She stepped down from the ship, and Kylo waved his hand, sealing the door.

Kylo pulled his dark neck wrap up over his nose and mouth, and lifted his hood over his head so only his dark, shadowy eyes remained visible. Rey did the same, and after she had pulled her own large hood over her head, she lifted it slightly to peer at Kylo.

They exchanged a silent look, Kylo's eyes focused directly on hers. In this moment, Rey somehow developed the impression that he knew that she'd tried healing him while he'd been asleep. As she searched his dark eyes, she couldn't help but feel that a sense of rapport passed between them.

After their brief visual exchange, Kylo shifted his shadowy gaze and began moving lithely ahead, towards the village. Rey began trudging along behind him, finding it more difficult to move through the thick and shifting red sea of sand.


	18. Breaking Ben

Rey panted as she struggled to keep up behind Kylo, attempting to compose herself the few times he glanced back at her. She hadn't gotten much exercise since she'd been elected Senator of the Azalea system, and she'd certainly not been half as active as she'd once been when she lived on Jakku. Her endurance just wasn't what it used to be.

Kylo, on the other hand, seemed to make light work of traversing the terrain, his long stride making his black cloak appear to float over the red sand.

As they neared the village, Kylo slowed, and Rey caught up to his side. He turned his face down towards her, keeping his gaze ahead on the town in front of them.

"Keep in tune with the Force, it will allow you to sense any danger," he said, glancing momentarily at her. They continued on a few silent paces before Rey spoke.

"I don't sense any danger," Rey said matter-of-factly, his vague advice turning over in her head.

"No. But you may," he said as they passed between an open set of low gates, the apparent mark of the start of the village. Small groups of people and creatures milled about the village, and each seemed to take notice of the two strange hooded figures that had entered their town.

The sand in the town was more compact and stable, forming a makeshift road. Rey was relieved she no longer had to plod through the thick sand of the open desert.

As Rey looked around, she noticed that there were no trees, no greenery, and she felt as if she were right back on Jakku.

As they continued through the village side-by-side, Rey eyed the signs that marked the small buildings and huts. They were all written in Basic Aurebesh, but none of them read "fuel." _Why is it so hard to find flight fuel on these planets?_ She thought bitterly.

Kylo stopped, and Rey moved in front of him, trying to see his shadowy face under his hood.

"Those are fuel cannisters over there," he said through his scarf, nodding to a booth without a sign across the road. He turned and headed towards the market stall.

Rey was about to follow but stepped quickly backwards as an animal towing a large cart of produce trotted swiftly past, raising the dust in swirling red clouds. She squinted, pulling the neck scarf tighter over her nose and mouth to keep the dust out as she crossed the road.

As she approached Kylo's side, the short male Blarina behind the market stall began speaking to Kylo in a raised voice. _"Sixty_ credits, and no less," he declared.

"That fuel is worth no more than two _decicreds,"_ Kylo countered, pointing an accusing gloved finger at the dusty, cracked barrels behind the man.

"Suit yourself," the Blarina growled, glaring up at Kylo. "I saw your ship land over there, that isn't a cheap design. I _doubt_ you don't have the money," he said, cocking an eyebrow.

Kylo cussed at the man as he trudged away, shooting him one final glare from over his shoulder. Rey didn't need to use the Force to sense his anger.

"Why didn't you just buy it? You yourself said we're out of fuel," Rey said, looking up at him as they walked further into the village.

"I'm still not going to be ripped off," he muttered bitterly, scanning the stalls as they passed. "I should have crushed him. I would have if I didn't have to avoid attracting the attention of the First Order," he continued, his voice dark.

"You do realize he's just trying to make a living, don't you?" Rey inquired indignantly. "Perhaps if you weren't so _ill-tempered_ he would have offered you a better price."

Kylo shot her a cross look, but Rey averted her gaze so she didn't meet his eyes.

They continued on for a short while in silence. The town seemed to grow more populated as they ventured on through its open market areas and shops. Soon enough, they both stopped, looking over at a sign above a large stall, behind which stood an aging human male. Rey lifted the drooping front of her large hood to read the Aurebesh letters: "Fuel - Top Quality."

Kylo lowered the fabric over his face and his body posture grew tense as he approached the stall, preparing for another argument.

"'Top Quality?' I doubt that. Let me see it," Kylo demanded as they reached the stall, nodding his head towards the large metal canisters stacked behind the man.

The man frowned at Kylo, seemingly taken aback at this sudden accusation. "What kind of craft are you needing it for?" He asked. His voice sounded as cracked and dry as the desert sand itself.

"Not one you'd be familiar with," Kylo snapped. "Now let me see the fuel."

Rey shot Kylo an angry look, stepping closer to the stall table. She couldn't take his rude and brash behavior any longer. She lowered her hood as she looked at the man, whose weary eyes came to focus on her.

"What are you—" Kylo began, but Rey cut him off with a dismissive wave of her hand. She lowered her scarf to her neck, revealing her whole face.

"I'm sorry, he has forgotten his manners, apparently," Rey said, shooting Kylo a condescending look. "What he _means_ to say, is that we've come a long way to find fuel, and we just want to make sure it's the right kind before we buy it," Rey said, her voice polite, warm. She felt Kylo's confounded stare on the side of her face, but she didn't bother to turn and look at him again. "Would you mind if we got a look at it?"

The man blinked at her for a few moments, his jaw dropping slightly, before he quickly nodded his head once. "Y-yes miss. Of course, miss," he said, turning around and lifting a cannister from the stack behind him.

He set the metal barrel onto the stall table with effort and popped open the lid for them to see. Rey glanced up at Kylo, his dark eyes still focused down on her. Her eyes flickered from him to the barrel expectantly, and he blinked, turning to observe the fuel with a critical frown.

As Kylo observed the fuel for a few moments, tilting the barrel slightly to get a better look, Rey gave the man a friendly smile, and he returned one to her.

Rey sensed more eyes upon her, and she turned to her right, seeing that the men at the booths next to hers were all silently staring at her, seemingly frozen in place.

Rey faced forward again, tugging at the hem of her cloak thoughtfully. _Why are they all staring? Do I look_ that _funny in these giant clothes?_ She wondered, suddenly self-conscious.

Rey looked up at Kylo next to her, who she noticed was glaring in the direction behind her. Puzzled, she flipped her head back around, but saw that no men were looking in her direction any longer. She looked back up at Kylo confusedly.

"What is it?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

His fierce expression cooled as his dark eyes lowered to hers.

"Does the fuel suit you, sir?" The man behind the stall asked, a faint timidness in his voice.

Kylo opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated, glancing quickly at Rey. "It will do," he said with a quiet sigh.

After Kylo had reluctantly paid the fifty credits for the fuel, the man loaded the fuel in a cart, tugging it around the table. "Not ideal to drag through the thick sand out there, I know," the main said, laughing nervously. Kylo's expression remained deadpan as he took the handle, beginning to pull it away from the stand, but the man spoke again. "She is lovely, your wife. But a woman like that doesn't belong out in a rough place like this," he said, and Kylo and Rey both froze in their tracks.

They simultaneously spun around, shocked at the vendor's unmitigated assumption.

"She's _not my—"_

"We're not—he isn't—"

They both tripped over their words in their state of bewilderment. Kylo tensed, staring threateningly at the man, who shrunk back behind the table.

"Oh, _my_ apologies, sincerely, I didn't mean...," he trailed, and quickly turned away, seeming to busy himself with the inventory behind him.

Rey blew out an astonished breath, on the verge of releasing an uncomfortable laugh. She watched the man, avoiding looking over at Kylo.

Out of her peripheral vision, Rey watched as Kylo abruptly turned on the heels of his boots and began pulling the fuel cart behind him, quite hastily at that. His feet pounded heavily into the compact dirt, his agitation evident simply in the way that he moved. Rey decided it best to remain following behind the cart, to maintain distance between them.

As they moved back through the quieting town, Rey again felt the stares of men on her, and she self-consciously pulled her scarf up under her eyes and returned her hood to her head.

By the time they had reached the edge of the town, the sky had grown darker, the sun still setting. Rey hoped that Kylo would slow his pace once they reached the thicker desert sand, but her remaining spirits sunk as he maintained almost the same pace as before, only minutely struggling to keep the cart in pace behind him. Rey attempted to control her labored breathing as she slowed her own pace, allowing the distance between them to grow greater and greater.

The sky was a deep, dark maroon when Rey had finally reached the command shuttle. She walked around one of its tall, bat-like wings, finding Kylo unravelling the ship's fuel line to attach it to the cannister on the cart. His hood and scarf were off of his face, and Rey lowered her own.

Kylo glanced up at her momentarily as she came around the ship, but he remained silently focused on his work.

"Can I help?" Rey asked, stepping towards him.

He frowned as he looked up at her. "No."

Rey lowered her eyebrows and folded her arms, wondering why he still seemed to be in such a sour mood. "What you said before, about how the Force allows you to sense danger...how can I do that?" She asked suddenly.

Kylo stopped what he was doing and straightened himself, swiping the dirt off of his pants in a frustrated manner. He looked annoyed, but also very tired. "It would be great if I could just work on this," he muttered.

Rey ignored him, deciding to press on. "Do I have to really concentrate, as with Force healing?"

Kylo stared at her a moment before rubbing a hand against his forehead. "You're not going to stop, are you?" He said, his question sounding more like a statement. "Perhaps I should just leave you behind on this godforsaken planet. You're used to living in the desert, aren't you, Scavenger?" Rey was surprised that his tone was more light, even teasing.

"I'd rather be stuck in this claustrophobic ship than have to live in a desert again," she said. She watched as a small, wry smile formed momentarily on Kylo's mouth at her statement as he returned to hooking the fuel line to the cannister. He turned a pump on, and the dark liquid fuel began snaking up the hose into the fuel tank of the ship.

Sensing his lightening mood, Rey wanted to press further. "Where did you learn most of what you did about the Force?" Rey questioned, watching him intently. "Was it from Snoke?"

Kylo straightened, folding his arms across his chest thoughtfully. The growing wind tossed his dark hair across his forehead. He lowered his dark brows as he seemed to consider her question. "Well...yes. Much of it came from Snoke...and...some from Luke." He opened his mouth to speak again, clearly hesitating. His dark gaze shifted away from her. "I learned a lot from my mother."

Rey watched as his features seemed to grow more somber, seemingly lost in thought as he focused down at the sand. She debated or not whether she should question him again, and as usual curiosity got the best of her.

"Do you ever miss her, your mother?" Rey asked quietly.

Kylo's eyes slowly rose to hers, a subtle but troubled emotion crossing his features. He furrowed his brows, his features hardening as he dropped his gaze back to the ground. "I don't know her anymore," he suddenly snapped, his voice disturbed. He avoided Rey's attentive gaze as he plodded past her through the sand.

"I wasn't asking _Kylo Ren,"_ she called after him defiantly. She watched as he stopped in his tracks, looking back at her alarmingly. She opened her mouth, hesitating. "I'm asking _Ben."_

Kylo turned towards her, exasperation flashing across his face. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Rey took a step towards him, watching his expression closely, concernedly.

"Don't you miss her?" She breathed, knitting her brows together.

Kylo's features from agitation into fleeting anxiety, then surprisingly, his expression faded into disconsolateness. He took a step towards her, his mouth trembling. "Yes," he finally breathed. "Yes, of _course_ I miss her," he said quietly, seeming to search Rey's eyes.

Rey was overcome just at the transformation of emotions that had flashed across his face, much less this admittance. With growing realization, she recognized that this was Ben speaking to her in this moment.

"How is she?" He asked abruptly. But he seemed to bite back his words almost as soon as he'd released them, as if regretful at having asked the question.

"She's...uh," Rey's mind raced, wondering whether or not she should tell him the truth. But before she had a chance to respond, Kylo interrupted.

"No, do not speak," he said, shaking his head and holding a hand before him. "I am no longer her son."

Despite his biting statement, Rey was astonished that she'd managed to break through Kylo's harsh exterior, even if just for a few moments. She'd seen in him the same vulnerability, the same fleeting _humanity_ as she had before when he'd first interrogated her on his ship, after the battle on Takodana.

Rey realized that despite his longstanding separation from his family, despite his training with the Dark Side, at his truest core, Kylo Ren was still, and always would be, Ben Solo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Rey is figuring out how to work Kylo's own emotions against him. I wonder what other things in him she _awakens..._
> 
> And yeeah, Rey, the men were staring at you for your clothing...I loved in TFA how oblivious Rey was of Finn's affection for her, and how he initially saw her as a damsel in distress, when in reality she's a seasoned fighter who doesn't need no man/ her hand held. Now it's becoming more clear that Finn and Poe aren't the only ones to admire Rey's independent nature—among other things, to quote Snoke.
> 
> Yes, the chapter title is a play on "Breaking Bad." I couldn't resist, sue me.


	19. Revelation

After leaving Stoltara, Kylo and Rey had both wordlessly gone to sleep in the same spots as before, in the two separate sections of the command shuttle. When Rey finally awoke, her back was sore after having fallen asleep upright in the large pilot's chair.

She woke to seeing Kylo across from her, silently adjusting the control board. He seemed to have returned to his usual stoic and hardened self.

Rey zoned out as they sped past the bright stars. She snuck glances over at Kylo, studying him with interest. She wished that she could break through to him again, to _Ben. I wonder if he'll just dump me into space if I pull that again,_ Rey thought.

She wondered if he only felt hatred towards his father, if he felt even the slightest remorse at having killed him. Considering his emotional profession the night before, Rey was leaning towards the idea that in fact he did. Even so, no matter how civil she and Kylo would become, Rey felt that she would always feel resentment towards him for having killed Han.

Rey watched Kylo closely, studying his dark features, the way his hair hung off of his face as leaned over the controls. He was incredibly focused, as if she weren't even there, in a world of his own.

She pictured him in the ship alone, without company, as he must have been for quite sometime. _How does he stand being so isolated?_ Rey wondered, but then she thought of growing up on Jakku, the extreme loneliness she herself had experienced for most of her life. _We are both accustomed to being lonely,_ she realized.

Kylo turned his head and looked at her, and Rey feared that he had heard her thoughts. But she knew he hadn't; she would have sensed him reading her mind.

"Are we still headed East?" Rey asked, not expecting him to tell her exactly where they were headed.

Kylo nodded, breaking his gaze from her as he tilted his head to either side, stretching his neck.

"How do you stand to sleep in these chairs?" Rey asked, slowly standing and stretching her own neck.

"You get used to it," he said, glancing at her.

Rey leaned her palms against the edge of the control board, shifting her weight. She yearned to break the persistent silence.

"Why do you like this ship so much? Have you had it for a long time?" Rey asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Kylo lowered his brows, shooting her a vexed look, but his then features softened slightly. "Yes. And I helped design it."

"Ah," Rey said. "And what exactly did you design?"

He seemed to think about his answer for a moment, sitting down in the chair behind him across from Rey. "I added the extending wings, extra security features, the Kyber cannons."

Rey squinted as she thought for a moment. "Kyber? As in, Kyber _crystals?"_

"Yep."

"Why Kyber Crystals?"

"They're much more powerful than your standard ion cannons. They can hit a target twice as far as the technology the old Empire was using," he said, raising his eyebrows for emphasis. "Using the Force, they latch onto their target and follow it. It's pretty much a guaranteed hit. I mean, if you do the math on...well, I won't go into that."

Rey could tell how much Kylo was interested in the topic. But she was curious about the Kyber crystals, astounded that Kylo was using the same power source for his ship's weapons as was used to power a lightsaber.

"Wait, Kyber crystals are connected to the Force," Rey said, tilting her head.

"That's what I just said, they use the Force. So the whole ship does, really," Kylo said, leaning back into the chair.

"But I thought Kyber crystals were just used for making lightsabers."

"Well...now they're not," he said smugly.

"Does the rest of the First Order use this to make their weapons?" Rey inquired.

Kylo's brows knitted together, his gaze shifting. "I'm no longer a part of the First Order, but yes. Essentially they've taken my ideas and many of their larger weapons use Kyber crystals."

"They're looking for you, aren't they?" Rey asked. "And Snoke...that's why he attacked you?"

"Yes. They've put a generous bounty on my capture. I'm almost flattered," he said, raising an eyebrow. He blinked at Rey, seeming to study her for a moment. "And you," he said, "why did you leave your Order?"

Rey was amused that he had picked up on the similarity in the names of the two factions. She looked at the ground and breathed a small chuckle as she remembered Poe's suggestion that the Order of Organa rebrand itself under a different name. _Oh, Poe,_ she thought.

She looked back up at Kylo's perplexed expression. "Well, first off, I didn't like being a Senator. It's not that I wasn't good at it, I just don't feel that it's really for me. It was mainly dealing with minor problems, and...I didn't feel like I could really make a difference in the Order by being a Senator."

Kylo seemed to consider this. "I see." He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

"I—well...Luke wasn't going to teach me anymore, about the Force. Leia had never received any real training, so she couldn't teach me. I mean, the only way...the only choice I had was to come to you," she said, searching his dark eyes.

He tilted his head slightly, searching her face.

Rey leaned forward, her expression serious. "I need you to teach me everything you know about the Force. It's the only way I know that I can help the Order, my friends...your mother. They're all in danger, I _need_ your help."

Kylo straightened his posture, considering her appeal. He stood, looking down at her with a focused expression.

"Please," Rey said quietly, looking up at him imploringly. She thought of Leia's growing fragility, as well as the potential for Finn and Poe to be sent to the front lines of battle against the rising enemy, presumably the First Order. "You're my only hope."

Kylo's eyes seemed to soften, and he shifted his gaze to the side, thinking for several long, silent moments. His shoulders then dropped slightly, and he looked back down at her. "I cannot— _will_ not train you as a Jedi. And as you must know, these things can't be learned quickly, they take time. Most of the skills are acquired through experience, it's—"

"But you'll show me?" Rey interrupted, rising from her chair.

"That which I can," Kylo said. He took a small step in her direction, raising an eyebrow. "You do realize we wield opposite sides of the Force."

"Yes, of course," she breathed, the memory of Kylo's lightsaber bursting through Han Solo flashing into her mind. She winced as she remembered Han falling down the deep, empty chamber on Starkiller base. Her breathing quickened, suddenly hit with emotion as she sat back down in chair behind her. Rey froze momentarily in thought, her eyes slowly raising back to his. "Are you now a Sith?"

Kylo seemed to balk at this question, his dark gaze searching her face. "Not formally," he said.

"'Formally?' Rey asked, puzzled. "How, then, would you _formally_ become one?"

"You don't even understand what it means to be a Sith," he said firmly. Kylo seemed bothered, his arms tensing.

"Okay," Rey said calmly, wanting to mollify his sudden agitation. "I _don't_ understand. But these are things you'll have to teach me about. I can learn all of these things."

Kylo cracked a wry smile. "Doubtful," he said, sitting back down in the chair. "But...we'll see." His eyes flickered back up to hers, squinting slightly, his gaze focused. A challenge.

There was something Rey perceived in his dark, expressive eyes. A toying nature, coquetry. Rey found that she could not break her gaze from his. She felt as if the very air between them was alive, zoetic. _The Force bond,_ Rey thought, blinking.

Rey suddenly broke her gaze, her eyes downcast. She was reminded again of Han, having seen his features in the face of his very son. She crossed her arms over her chest, unable to grasp how Kylo could have killed such a man, his very father.

"What is it?" Kylo asked. Rey felt him press into her mind, but she blocked him out, keeping her gaze to the side. "Something afflicts you."

Rey met his eyes again, a coldness seeping through her as the murder of Han Solo repeated in her mind. "How could you have killed your father?" She asked.

Kylo shrunk back into his chair as if he'd been slapped. He looked strained, his eyes shifting to the side as he set his jaw.

"Didn't you ever love your father?" Rey asked, her voice beginning to tremble. "Could you not have at least been satisfied with _having_ a father?" Her voice raised.

Kylo stood, his hands rolled into tense fists at his sides. His expression was pained as he looked down at her, his mouth opening but no words escaping.

"How... _how_ could you do it?" Rey breathed as she looked up at him, feeling as if she were on the brink of tears. "And poor Leia... _why_ would you…"

"Don't speak," Kylo said, his voice unstable, his shoulders lifting with each breath. He blinked hard. "You don't understand."

"Then show me," Rey said firmly, anger flowing through her. "I know you can. I want to see all of it." She stood, stepping towards Kylo, who leaned slightly away from her. _"Show me,"_ she demanded. She grabbed his reluctant wrist, yanking it towards herself.

"There are things you cannot _un_ see," he said, his eyes flaring. He shook his head. "You don't want this."

But Rey only yanked at his wrist again, pulling it to her forehead as she glared up into Kylo's dark eyes. She thought she sensed a fearful apprehension in his eyes, but he took in a large breath, pressing his palm on her forehead and closing his eyes.

Rey shut her own eyes, beginning to feel a rich energy coursing through her veins, a haziness forming in her mind. She began to shake slightly, suddenly overwhelmed with the Force energy accumulating within her. She felt Kylo grip her upper arm with his free hand, presumably to keep her still.

The haze in her mind turned to a dull light, and Rey sucked in a breath as she suddenly saw Han's face right before her, albeit a much younger version. A young, beautiful Leia also flashed into her mind. An image of Han kissing Leia, Leia tossing her head back, laughing. Various happy memories of Han and Leia flashed into Rey's mind, accompanied by feelings of comfort, warmth. _Love._

These images vanished suddenly, as did the feelings attached to them. "He's not going to Luke," Han's voice flashed in Rey's mind. "He's a _Skywalker,"_ Leia snapped.

Suddenly Rey was exposed to a flash of confusion, despondency. Leia was crying, hunched up against a door. A small child's hand reached out towards Leia—Ben's hand—and Leia looked in Rey's direction, attempting to force a smile, tears rolling down her red face. "Daddy's coming back, he'll be back," Leia said, her voice cracking. Several similar images of Leia flashed in succession, all while Leia's voice repeated in her mind, _"he'll be back, he'll be back,"_ the words sounding less and less hopeful each time. Rey was filled with a growing discomfort, a yearning to console Leia.

Rey's mind was blank again, a hazey slate. A different image began to take shape in her mind. A silver lightsaber hilt was handed to her by Luke—Luke's lightsaber, now her own—and Ben took it into his grasp. Rey shuddered as her mind was immediately filled with a powerful rush of the energy of the Force. She saw images of lightsaber duels, a flash of Maz Kanata, a flash of _herself,_ the insignia of the First Order on a waving flag, stormtroopers, a cloth being unfolded from Kylo's helmet, and, unmistakably—an image of _Darth Vader._

Rey was filled with shock, fear, raging turmoil as she saw the lightsaber before her, this time ignited. She watched it flare and clash against a green lightsaber, against a young blonde boy. Ben knocked the saber out of the other boy's hand, who laughed as he went over to pick it back up. Rey felt intense excitement pulsing through her, only the kind that a child could feel.

Suddenly, a dark haze began to overtake Rey's mind. Fear increasingly gripped her. A deep voice hissed in her head, but she couldn't make out all of what it was saying. She could only understand staggered chunks of speech: _"great power," "left your mother," "betrayal," "traitor," "your destiny," "purpose."_ A growing sense of determination coursed through Rey, along with a sense of apprehension.

Luke appeared before her, talking to Leia. "...Too powerful for his own good...I sense a darkness within him. I fear he may become a danger."

"He's my _son._ Your _nephew."_

"That's exactly why I'm worried. He is also our father's _grandson."_

"But If you only teach him the ways of the Light, he will not stray. He is a _good_ boy, you know this."

The images Rey saw next flew by in rapid succession: stormtroopers shooting at children and teenagers, at the very child Ben had been previously dueling. Luke sprinting away, a small child in his arms. A fleeting image of the dead younglings all around, accompanied by feelings of heartbreak and tumult. She saw Ben's more mature arm reaching down into a foggy mire, using the Force to lift out a glowing, crackling red stone. A Kyber crystal. A great sense of loneliness, isolation, a yearning for companionship, physical contact. Practicing telekinesis, mind reading, and other Force skills on trembling victims. A giant figure with a booming voice, followed by feelings of anxiety, internal conflict. _The pull of the light,_ she felt Ben think. _My family..._

She felt Ben's curiosity as she saw herself traipsing through the woods, then wildly shooting at Ben as he approached, who deftly deflected the blaster bolts with his crackling saber. She saw as Ben carried herself onto this ship, a seeming excitement running through him. _Is it her?_

Rey sucked in a quick breath as she saw Han Solo at the end of the precarious metal walkway, her vision of the scene expanding as Ben took off his helmet. She felt Ben's dread deep in his heart, but also a painful ache of love. _I have to do it,_ Ben thought. _I must do it. I cannot fail the Supreme Leader._ The memory jumped as Han stood directly before her now, both Han and Ben's hands tightly gripping the lightsaber. Rey felt that as Ben looked at his father, all of his memories flooded back to him, so real, so close. His motivation had suddenly been wiped out of him. _I can't do it...I don't have the strength. I give in._ Ben tried pushing the lightsaber towards Han, expecting him to take it away from him.

But a growing confusion filled him as Han maintained a firm hold on the lightsaber, keeping it in place between them, causing it to shake between the two opposing forces. Ben realized what Han was doing too late.

Han ignited the lightsaber, shock filling them both as the crackling red plasma shot through Han's body, impaling him. Han's face contorted in physical pain and in despair at seeing his son for the last time. Rey felt how Ben was rocked emotionally. As Han touched Ben's face, tears came to Rey's eyes as she felt how Ben experienced such love, such devotion for his father, especially in this moment.

Han had committed suicide. And Ben understood exactly why he had done it.

Rey gasped, choking out a breath as she opened her tear-ridden eyes. Ben's large hands dropped from her forehead and arm. Tears fell down Rey's cheeks as she looked up into Ben's troubled eyes, her gaze following a tear sliding down his own cheek.

Rey took in a deep, shaky breath, trying to wrap her mind around everything she had just seen. "You...you didn't kill him…" she breathed in disbelief.

Ben closed his eyes, his mouth quivering.

"Han sacrificed himself...so that _you_ could never fully turn to the Dark side," she said, putting the pieces together.

Kylo's shoulders dropped, shifting his gaze and hanging his head slightly as another tear rolled down his face. Overwhelmed and overcome with having been exposed to so many intense mixed emotions, Rey met Ben's teary black gaze for a long moment. Then, closing her eyes, she stepped forward into his chest as she let out a sob.

She gripped at the sides of his shirt as she clung onto him, never having experienced such remarkable pain, such deep love. She buried her face into his shirt, her body wracking with sobs. She felt Ben's arms slowly wrap around her as he hung his head next to hers, his silent tears dripping onto her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was dark, fam. What do you think of this revelation? How does this place Kylo/Ben's character? Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	20. Attack on Naboo

Wrapping his arms around Rey, Ben was surprised at his own instinctive gesture. He felt compelled to bring Rey some form of comfort, knowing full well the avalanche of emotions he'd just plunged upon her through his own staggered memories. Despite the painful flashbacks that had resurged through his mind, a distinctive warmth began flooding through his body. His heart quickened as Rey leaned into his chest, clutching at his sides. The ache of his dark memories began to fade as he himself was soothed by Rey's snug embrace.

Something clicked in Ben's mind. His tears drying, he marvelled at the connection he felt to Rey, mentally and physically. Their closeness felt so right, so _natural._ He hadn't been touched, embraced for—well, he didn't even want to think how long ago.

Since the time he'd encountered her in the flesh on Takodana, he'd sensed their visceral link. It had intrigued him, driven him mad with the desire to study her, keep her as his own prize. When he'd subsequently interrogated her on the Finalizer, he had realized their remarkable similarities, making her all the more enticing. He hadn't been able to keep himself from getting closer to her, and had barely been able to restrain himself from actually touching her. His primal craving for basic physical contact was so strong, contact he so rarely received.

He felt his temper flare momentarily as he remembered the men that had dared to stare at Rey as she'd taken off her coverings on Stoltara, gawking at her like daft idiots. Ben had nearly whipped out his lightsaber in his fury.

And now, her body held gently against his, the draw he felt to her was magnetic. He felt as if he were in a trance. He again had the urge to touch her face, feel the warmth of her soft skin. But he restrained himself; he didn't want to frighten her further, considering the emotional trauma he'd just exposed her to.

As Rey's sobs eventually subsided, Ben blinked, coming to. He lifted his head and released his arms slowly from her back, sliding them back down to his sides. Rey released her tight clutch on his shirt, and Ben gently pulled himself away from her, even though he didn't want to. But he didn't want to betray any weakness in front of Rey.

He wiped away his tears sheepishly, avoiding her gaze. He felt frustrated, partially because Rey had seen him in such an emotional state. He forced himself to swallow his emotions, keeping his face level.

He watched as Rey shakily sat back down in the pilot's chair behind her, her eyes locked on the metal floor before her, lost in thought.

Ben turned and stood before the control board, watching the passing stars through the window. "These are the images I am haunted by," he said softly, staring before him. "And now they'll haunt you." He looked back over his shoulder curiously at Rey, meeting her eyes which were still wet with tears. His gaze was detached, tranced.

He then turned and walked out of the room silently, but not before sneaking her another glance.

….

Several silent hours later, as he sat cross-legged in the cold pitch-black cell of the metal storage room, he sensed Rey's presence nearing.

Ben opened his eyes as the heavy door before him slowly slid open, letting through a single beam of light that landed on him. Rey stood in the doorway, looking down at him curiously. Her face was no longer red from crying. Ben remained on the ground as he looked up at her.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked softly.

"A place to focus," he merely said.

"Were you meditating?" She probed. Ben didn't know how much she knew about meditating, whether Luke had ever taught her to do it herself. He decided not to answer, not wanting to delve into the subject. But Rey continued. "How often do you meditate? I didn't know users of the dark side did this, too," she said. Ben lifted his eyebrows, surprised at her casual remark.

Ben again remained silent as Rey tilted her head, squinting down at him in the dim of the cell. "You do still use the dark side of the Force, don't you?"

Ben sat up straight and scowled, taking offense at the question. "What do you think?" He retorted.

Rey's mouth pulled into a straight line as she considered him. "Ben," she said softly.

He blinked up at her, furrowing his brows, but he didn't scold her for using his real name.

"Thank you."

Ben leaned his head slightly back, puzzled at her statement. "What?" He asked.

"I meant to thank you for saving me, back on Zephus. For taking care of me. For healing me," Rey said, her warm hazel eyes boring into his.

Ben merely blinked at her, unsure of what to say. He watched as Rey interlaced her fingers together, hesitating to continue.

"I...I can see things from your side, now. I don't fully understand why, perhaps I never will...but I understand how you _feel._ I didn't know...I didn't think you were _capable…"_ she trailed, blinking hard. A single tear fell from her eye as she looked away, avoiding his glance. "Han. You've _always_ loved him. Your mother, too...I _felt_ that. I felt your suffering..." she said, meeting his eyes once again.

Ben shifted his gaze to the ground, not wanting to go back to this again. He had just spent the last three hours focusing his emotions; he didn't want to let them come pouring out again in front of Rey.

"You feel the pull of the light," Rey said abruptly, and Ben's eyes flickered back up to hers as he frowned.

"No more than you feel the pull of the dark," he snarled, watching as Rey's brows knitted together, her posture tensing. She seemed about to speak as a distant beeping sounded from outside the storage room.

Ben's eyes widened as he leapt onto his feet, pushing past Rey as he moved swiftly through the ship's central area.

"What is it?" Rey exclaimed, trotting after him. As he reached the control board, he froze in horror as a multitude of small red dots began moving towards the center of the screen of the ship's movement scanner.

_"Dammit,"_ Ben hissed under his breath. "TIE fighters," he said, turning on the plasma generator button.

"Coming _here?"_ Rey asked, stepping towards him to look at the locator screen. Her eyes scanned the many buttons and controls on the desk. "What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing," he said, increasing the ship's engines and picking up their speed.

"I can pilot this thing, while you shoot with those Kyber cannons you were talking about."

"There's no need for steering, I have coordinates logged in already," he said hurriedly. _"Damn._ This is not a good place to stop."

"Where are we going?" Rey asked concernedly.

"Naboo."

….

Rey stood up from her pilot's seat as the blue and green planet grew larger in the window. She came up next to Ben, gripping the edge of the control board as she stared ahead at the nearing planet. The light of the nearby sun glinted off of the planet's atmosphere, giving it a shiny quality.

Ben looked over at her, wondering if she knew anything about the history of Naboo, the people who had once lived and reigned there. She hadn't brought up anything about the subject, so he deduced that she didn't. His gaze lingered a few moments on her profile, her long dark lashes that swept her cheeks as she blinked.

Ben turned his gaze back to the controls in front of him as he switched off the autopilot setting, beginning to manually direct the ship as it reached the planet's atmosphere. The security scanner had remained silent, and he'd told Rey that they must have lost the TIE fighters. But he still wanted to land on the planet to hide for a while, just in case.

"Hang on," he cautioned to Rey as the ship broke through the outer atmosphere of the planet. He lowered his left hand at his side, using the Force to anchor his feet to the ground as the ship descended quickly through the clouds, the metal walls pulsating with the wind resistance of the planet's thick atmosphere. .

"How are you so still?" Rey asked incredulously, and he looked over at her as she attempted to hold onto the edge of the control board.

"The Force," he said, but she just looked at him confusedly. He furrowed his brows in concentration as he tilted his palm, holding both Rey and himself in place as the ship broke through the final cloud layer, revealing the shining city of Theed below.

"OH...oh, wow," Rey marvelled, her eyes wide at the scene before her. Ben was amused at her appreciation of the sight. He steered the ship around the far edge of the city, veering it to the left sharply and keeping it near the ground. Glancing back over at Rey, he decided to take a small detour, turning the ship around the edge of the city and passing the shuttle in front of the immense waterfalls that cascaded down the tops of the cliffs where sat the city's royal palace.

"I've never seen a city so beautiful," Rey gasped, looking over at Ben. As he momentarily met her shimmering eyes, he felt his mind go blank, his heart thudding quickly in his chest. A flush came over him, and he tore his eyes away from her, pretending to concentrate completely on directing the ship.

He landed the ship in a small clearing within a thickly forested area away from the city; he didn't want his ship parked in a hangar where someone could potentially damage it or worse, recognize it.

After setting up the full security systems on the shuttle, Ben moved silently into the storage room, turning on the lights and searching the shelves for their cloaks and scarves.

"Again?" Rey asked, her hands on her hips as she stood in the doorway, watching him. "Who would even recognize me here?"

He shoved into her hands the same cloak and neck scarf he'd giver her before, which were now coated with the red dust of Stoltara. "That's not the only reason to cover you up," he said, and Rey gave him a puzzled stare. "Put those on."

She did as she was told, and Ben hurriedly pulled on his own clothing. "We need to get to the city as soon as possible, we should be sheltered there. The TIE fighters wouldn't dare go near there, the city has too many defenses," he said, exiting the storage room as he sensed Rey following behind him.

….

As Rey trailed behind Ben, he kept his pace just quick enough so that she wouldn't be able to catch up to his side. If there was to be trouble ahead, he wanted to be the first to encounter it. He shoved his way through the thick green foliage, scanning his surroundings with his eyes and with all of his Force sense.

After about a half hour of trekking through the forest, he was relieved when the foliage grew more sparse as they neared the edge of the city. Ben made his way up to a paved path at the top of the hillside, stopping at the top to wait for Rey to catch up. As he turned to look back down at her, she seemed to be trudging up the hill with great effort. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling under the shadow of her hood, her nose and mouth covered by the dark neck scarf. The dark hood and scarf seemed to frame her eyes, giving her a captivating—if coy—look. Ben's throat tightened as he forced himself to tear his eyes away from her.

"Can...can we slow down?" Rey panted, yanking the scarf away from her face.

Ben nodded once silently, his eyes scanning the greenery behind her instinctively, making sure no one had seen and followed them. He then turned and lead them into the city streets.

The city was noisy and crowded, which was to be expected as it was the height of the afternoon on this planet, the middle of the day. Various people and species moved about the streets, all of whom seemed to keep their distance from the two hooded figures. No one on this planet seemed to wear much in the way of hoods or coverings, and Ben realized that he and Rey's concealing clothing ironically made them stand out.

As they soon reached a small open square, Ben walked over to a more shaded area, turning towards Rey. He reluctantly pulled down his neck scarf and hood, eyeing the passing people guardedly as he did so. "We don't need these here. They're drawing too much attention," he said quietly to Rey.

Rey pulled off her own hood, loosening the thick scarf around her neck. "I was going to take them off anyways. Mother of Moons, it's too warm outside for these clothes. I can't stop sweating," she breathed, fanning herself. She stepped out of the shade and into the sunshine, curiously observing the people passing through the square as Ben's gaze lingered on her.

Rey looked back at Ben, who was jolted, afraid that she had realized he'd been staring at her. "I'm hungry, can we find something to eat?" She asked.

Ben felt a small rush of relief, but then realized he hadn't noticed how hungry he himself was. His spirits rose at the thought of eating something new; they'd only been eating the dry, bland packaged food he had stored on his command shuttle.

He nodded at her, and began leading them further down the road towards an open marketplace. Ben continually ran a hand through his hair, uncomfortable and self-conscious with being so unconcealed in the public eye. Yet now that his face was was exposed, people no longer seemed to stare at him.

Ben slowed as they reached the market, allowing Rey to lead. He trailed close behind her as she observed the different market stalls, flipping his gaze left and right as he watched for any signs of trouble. Several times he caught the admiring eyes of men upon her, in which he shot each of them a black glare until they shrunk away from his visual threat, and removing their eyes from Rey.

Rey decided on a handful of large, brilliantly-colored fruits at the market, suggesting that they share. After he had paid for the food, Ben followed Rey down a sunlit street, sitting down next to her on a shaded bench. It felt unnatural to him to behave casually in such an exposed, public place.

"Which one do you want?" Rey asked, holding the basket of fruit out to him.

"I don't care, you choose," he said, nodding towards her. Ben watched as she looked down into the basket, considering them.

"Hmm. You seem like a red sort of person," she said, handing him an electric red fruit, a small smile upon her mouth.

He looked down at the fruit, knowing full well she was referring to his red lightsaber. As he bit into the fruit, he was pleasantly surprised by its strong, sweet flavor. "This is really good," he said between mouthfuls. He looked over at Rey, who was nodding as she bit into her own blue fruit. "Blue? How fitting," he said flatly, and he was surprised as she briefly laughed. He couldn't help but smile momentarily himself.

After eating another fruit, Ben kept his eyes trained on their surroundings, watching and sensing for anything that would indicate danger. But as time passed by and the sun got a little lower in the sky, Ben allowed himself to relax a bit as he listlessly watched the people and animal-drawn carts that passed.

"What is this place?" Rey asked, looking over at him.

Ben hesitated. What should he tell her? "Many battles have been fought on this planet," he said. "And—" But Ben cut himself off as he heard a distant sound. With a shock, he realized it was a familiar screeching sound. He stood up from the bench, his eyes searching the sky in disbelief. The screeching grew louder. No. _No._

"What's that—" Rey began, but just then, a TIE fighter soared overhead. Everyone in the streets yelped and hollered, quickening their paces to take cover.

More screeching sounded, but Ben was frozen in place as two more TIE fighters sped by overhead, unsure of what to do, where to go.

"We need to get back to the ship!" Rey yelled, attempting to tug Ben away by his forearm. He looked over at her, the blood draining out of his face. He needed to hide her.

"We can't," he protested, allowing Rey to pull him under the shelter of an overhanging circular roof. "They'll see us if we leave the shelter of the city."

People began to scream and shout as a group of TIE fighters passed over the street again, this time closer to the rooftops of the buildings. "Come on," Ben said, ripping off his cloak and choking scarf as he picked up a jog. He snaked them through the panicked crowd, down a shaded street, keeping his senses focused on Rey to make sure she was keeping up behind him.

As they passed into a narrow road, he heard panicked screams coming from behind them, and he hurriedly read the thoughts of the crowd around him. _Stormtroopers._ He glanced back anxiously at Rey, who was struggling to push through people to keep up with him. He thought he read fear on her face, and he slowed.

They both looked up as three TIE fighters screeched past, and Ben extended his hand out to her, reaching through the people that pushed around them. Rey grabbed onto his gloved hand as she met his eyes, and Ben tried to give her a look of assurance. He gripped her hand tightly and turned, helping to pull her through the panicking masses.

The screams of the crowd grew louder behind him as he heard the familiar shots of blaster bolts. As they pressed through the people, the shots grew louder, closer. Ben scanned the buildings around him, finally coming upon a half-open shop door up a small flight of stone steps. He yanked Rey to his side and began pushing her up the steps. "Go inside and wait there," he urged, pushing her up the steps until she was inside the doorway.

Shutting the door behind him, Ben leapt down the steps, facing the direction in which the rest of the crowd was running from. Reaching down at his side, he pulled out his lightsaber from the attachment at his hip, flicking it before him as it ignited.

The people around him panicked further at the sight of his glowing red lightsaber, giving him a wide berth as they ran around him, away from the approaching stormtroopers. Ben centered his growing rage, swinging his saber threateningly as the rest of the crowd sprinted past him, revealing a line of six stormtroopers. Their blasters were now trained on him.

The stormtroopers marched forward, but Ben held his ground. They began shooting, and Ben deflected all of their shots with his lightsaber, flipping it between his hands. He began backing up as he continued to counteract their shots, leading them away from Rey. He scowled up at the sky momentarily as a howling TIE fighter passed overhead, forming an arc over the street as it circled back over him and passed out of view.

Sensing an opening, Ben deflected another blaster shot and swatted his hand at another shot, redirecting it with the Force into a nearby wall. He then flipped around and sprinted away using the Force, creating significant distance between he and the pursuing stormtroopers.

He slowed, breathing heavily as he entered a large, open courtyard leading directly to the palace. People ran past left and right, unsure of where to go. Ben sensed for Rey, feeling that she was still a ways away. He hoped he had led the stormtroopers away from her location.

He raised his lightsaber instinctively as several TIE fighters soared overhead, circling back over him again. Ben focused his energy and anger. He moved backwards, intending to find shelter once again in the shaded streets, but one TIE fighter broke off from the others and soared just above him, shooting at the ground near him as it passed. Ben was forced to leap back towards the middle of the courtyard, swearing under his breath as he did so.

He flipped to his side as he sensed the pursuing stormtroopers entering the courtyard. Glaring at them, he swung his lightsaber through a nearby light pole threateningly, daring them to proceed. Two of the stormtroopers appeared to hesitate, but then continued forward with the rest of the group. They resumed shooting at him, and Ben growled as he concentrated with all of his being to deflect their every shot. A TIE fighter circled back over him and shot at him, missing him by mere feet as he lept away from the powerful blast.

With one powerful swipe of his saber, Ben deflected several shots of the stormtroopers at once and leapt forward, landing a devastating blow upon the lead stormtrooper, slicing through his head. Ben quickly met the other stormtroopers' shots with his saber as the now dead trooper crumpled to the ground in a bloody pool.

He suddenly sensed Rey nearing and, between deflecting shots from the stormtroopers, he saw her at the edge of the courtyard, igniting her blue lightsaber. _Rey. No,_ he thought, urgently warning her to remain hidden as he directed his thoughts towards her. But Rey began charging forward, swinging her lightsaber at the several stormtroopers that had now turned to face her.

Hot fury coursing through him, Ben leapt forward again, his saber slicing halfway through the midsections of two stormtroopers like a knife cutting through two sticks of butter.

He sprinted to the side as two TIE fighters began pursuing him, flying close to the ground. The first one again just barely missed him as he leapt away from the impact of its blast. As the second fighter released its blast, however, Ben positioned his palm out just in time against the shot, halting the large blast midair with the Force as the TIE fighter continued on past him. His eyes remained trained on the TIE fighter as it began to ascend back up into the sky, and Ben used the Force to traject the halted blast up at the ship. It made contact, exploding and shattering the TIE fighter into fragmented pieces that shook as they fell to the ground.

Ben flipped back around to deflect a blaster bolt with his saber, but just as he did so he saw a blue saber stab through the shoulder of the offending stormtrooper, who subsequently buckled to the ground, revealing Rey standing in his place.

He and Rey briefly made eye contact as Ben realized she had finished off the rest of the stormtroopers. He felt a surge of admiration, impressed at her capability. Just then, however, several TIE fighters surged overhead, and Ben took a defensive stance.

However, just as the TIE fighters formed an arc, doubling back towards him, a large orange and grey X-wing fighter soared over the courtyard, taking each of the three fighters out in lightning-fast succession. Ben staggered back as the TIE fighters came crashing down not far in front of him, watching as several more X-wings sped past.

The orange and grey X-wing quickly circled back, and Ben deftly leapt away as it fired several shots at him.

Ben ran towards the edge of the courtyard to an overhanging roof, but flipped back around, halting in his tracks as Rey ran past him out into the center of the courtyard. "Poe!" She yelled. She met Ben with luminous eyes. "That was Poe, I recognize his fighter!"

"He shot at me," Ben spat, but Rey seemed to ignore this fact as she shaded her eyes with her hand to peer up into the sky. Ben had felt a pang of repugnance as Rey had said the pilot's name. "We have to leave, now," Ben called, beginning to head back down the street.

"No, wait, I have to see Poe! I'm sure he saw me!" She exclaimed, waving her arms up at two more X-wings as they flew overhead. "I didn't know he was stationed out here."

Ben pressed into her mind with a sense of desperation, urging her to listen to him. "We have to go, there will be more TIE fighters on the way," he said, and Rey shot him a look of defiance.

"The Order of Organa is obviously taking care of it now, we're safe," she stated, shaded her eyes from the sun. "And I'm not leaving until I get to see my friend."

"Then I'll leave without you," Ben said sharply, shooting her a dark look before he turned and began moving back down the street.

"Wait, but—" he heard Rey's disheartened voice call behind him. After a few strides, he couldn't help but feel a flush of warm relief as he sensed Rey hurrying to catch up behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured it was about time for some more action. This is _Star Wars,_ after all!


	21. The Look

"Take _that,_ you sons of banthas!" Poe yelled in his fighter's cockpit as he expertly shot down the three TIE fighters before him. He heard BB-8 chirp in approval in the slot behind him. As Poe watched the TIE fighters crash down into the pavement below, his eyes caught on a lone, dark figure. Though he was well above the courtyard, Poe saw the unmistakable red crossguard lightsaber in the figure's hands.

"What the—" Poe stared at the figure in utter shock, turning his fighter back around at a sharp angle. He descended his fighter closer to the ground, aiming his blasters direcly at Kylo Ren. Poe shot at him several times, but cussed under his breath as Ren had remarkably managed to jump out of the way of his blasts.

As Poe's X-wing soared past Ren, another figure near the edge of the open courtyard caught Poe's eye. But he was only able to see for a fleeting second before his fighter passed back over the rooftops of the buildings. _It can't be…_ he thought in astonishment. BB-8 beeped excitedly, also having recognized her.

Poe steered his X-wing back around towards the direction of the courtyard, but he growled as he was faced with two oncoming TIE fighters. Poe quickly shot one down, but the other TIE evaded him, dipping right below the line of his ship's blasts. Scowling, Poe was forced to turn his ship back around, away from the courtyard to pursue the TIE fighter, away from Rey.

After he had caught up to the TIE fighter, Poe shot it down from the sky, sending it careening it down into the streets below. He sincerely hoped that the wreckage wouldn't land on anyone.

As Poe was finally able to steer his X-wing back around to the palace courtyard, his heart sunk in his chest as he no longer saw Rey, or Kylo Ren for that matter. _He's captured her,_ Poe thought bitterly. As he steered his starfighter back towards the courtyard, he turned on his communicator and signaled all of the other Naboo patrols now circling over the city of Theed. "Kylo Ren is here, I repeat, _Kylo Ren_ is in the city and is holding Rey prisoner. Search the city, we must find them and rescue Rey!" He yelled urgently into his speaker.

Poe circled his X-wing around the edge of the courtyard several times, scanning the perimeter for Rey. Growing frantic, he steered his fighter close to the rooftops of the buildings below, trailing the streets, hoping to spot her. _I'll find you, Rey, don't worry,_ he thought ardently. _And I'll blast that damned Kylo Ren to pieces._

….

News travelled quickly to the Organa headquarters on Trora. Luke and Leia had been the first to be told the information about Kylo Ren and Rey's sighting on Naboo.

"Are we sure he's holding her hostage?" Leia asked, looking up at Luke concernedly. "Rey _did_ leave on her own accord, there were confirmed reports of her taking one of our cargo ships and leaving the system, alone."

Luke sighed, pacing in front of Leia. "I don't know exactly why Rey left, but I know she was still upset with me. And I _know_ you still want to give Ben the benefit of the doubt, Leia, but we _need_ to face reality. No matter how much you still love him, Ben is not a user of the light, nor will he ever be again," he said, looking at Leia seriously. "We cannot be certain of his plans, but it would be a mistake to think that he isn't a danger to Rey."

Leia shook her head. "But as you said, they are bonded. He's not going to hurt her."

Luke stopped in his tracks, meeting Leia's gaze with a somber look. "I'm not so sure of that," he said, his voice strained. "After all this time, I don't know how you can still see any in him."

Leia hung her head, pressing a hand over her chest as she felt a familiar pang of grief. "It's enough having both my son _and_ Han gone, Luke...but now, Rey...I can't imagine…" she trailed, her voice breaking. "I _have_ to believe she's going to be okay."

Luke stepped forward, placing his hands upon Leia's frail shoulders reassuringly. "She is strong, Leia," he said reassuringly. "She will find a way out."

"Yes... _I_ was once strong too, Luke, you know that. But over the years I have grown so weak...I often feel as if I have been sapped of my will to live," she breathed, her gaze dropping to the ground.

Luke shrunk back at the darkness in her voice. "Never say that," he said softly. "Leia, we all need you. _I_ need you. Rey needs you."

Leia met his gaze once again, a tear sliding down her cheek. Luke gave her a small, reassuring smile, but the one Leia returned was forced, her once bright eyes now completely dispirited.

….

It had now been a day and a half since Rey and Ben had left Naboo. They'd mostly slept since they'd been back on the ship, to recover their energy.

On their way out of the Naboo's atmosphere, they'd been tailed by three X-wing fighters, two of which Ben had shot down, much to the chagrin of Rey. She still felt upset at him for it. _What if one of them had been Poe?_ She thought, although she knew it hadn't; she would have recognized his X-wing.

Now, as she looked over at Ben, who stood over the control board, Rey's anger felt mixed with other, more conflicting emotions. She sensed a rising tension, a palpable energy between them. She often found herself studying his dark features, his facial expressions, the way his black hair cascaded across his forehead.

Since they'd been back on the command shuttle, Ben had stopped wrapping his arms in the usual dark cloth, leaving them bare. Rey had noticed the myriad of faded bruises that marked his arms.

Rey remembered watching Ben fight the stormtroopers on Naboo, the adept swings of his lightsaber effortlessly parrying the oncoming blaster bolts. Rey had followed a distance behind him and the stormtroopers, watching Ben's swift movements, his aggressive, predatory style of fighting. She had hesitated to join the fight, wanting to watch Ben, to study and learn from his movements.

Ben now must have felt her eyes on him, as he turned to look over at her. His gaze was relaxed.

"Where are we headed now, Captain?" Rey asked teasingly.

Ben smiled briefly. "We're stopping for gas again. I didn't have time to grab any on Naboo."

Rey pretended to scowl at him. "You _didn't?_ How lazy. It's not like we were fighting off Stormtroopers," she teased.

Ben smiled again, a brightness growing in his eyes. "Lazy, indeed," he said, lifting his head a bit. "You fought quite well, back there," he said, blinking. "I was...impressed."

Rey felt herself blush slightly at his praise. "You were also...impressive," she returned, lifting an eyebrow. "You stopped the blast from that TIE fighter in _midair—_ how'd you do that?" She asked animatedly.

Ben, too, seemed a bit flushed at her compliment. He shifted his weight as he leaned against the control desk. "It's something that's taken a lot of practice," he said.

"Is that something you could teach me?" Rey asked, sitting up straighter in the chair.

Ben's dark eyes flickered back to hers, his mouth opening slightly as he hesitated to speak. "Probably, yes," he said.

Rey felt a rush of excitement, but she concealed it, not wanting Ben to realize how fervently she wanted to train with the Force once again.

Ben turned and looked back down at the coordinate map. "In answer to your previous question, we're stopping at an isolated fuel station."

"A fuel _station?_ So we're guaranteed to find fuel here?" She asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Yes, as long as they charge a fair price," he said, giving her a knowing glance. "But they at least load your fuel into your ship for you here, for no added fee."

….

Ben carefully steered the shuttle into the large hangar on the solitary, drifting station. As they entered, the hangar door closed shut automatically behind them. Rey noticed Ben's painstaking concentration whilst landing the ship. He had parked it well away from the other ships in the hangar. _Probably to keep people from going near it,_ Rey thought.

As they got off of the command shuttle, stepping down onto the smooth grey metal of the hangar floor, Rey looked up at Ben questioningly. "So, this entire floating station is just built for _fuel?"_

"Essentially, yes," Ben said, beginning to lead Rey up a staircase at the back of the hangar, towards a sliding door. "But they also have shops, some lodging, a bar."

Rey's ears perked up at this last mention. "A bar?"

"Yes," Ben said, waving his hand to open the sliding door for them with the Force. "Why?"

"Do you ever drink? Alcohol, I mean?" Rey asked diffidently.

Ben paused momentarily before answering. "Yes. But rarely," he said, glancing down at her curiously as he led them down the hall to a counter. "Why? You want to go to the bar?"

Rey hesitated. "I was just curious," she said, avoiding his eyes.

"I guess I could go for a drink," Ben said as they reached the service counter. He glanced back down at her, his weary eyes an attestation to his claim.

….

Ben paid the attendants at the counter for the fuel to be loaded into his shuttle after having given them careful instructions of how to load it into his ship. He warned them not to scratch his ship, his tone threatening.

After that, they entered the nearby bar, and everyone there turned to look at them momentarily. Ben shot glares at everyone, and they quickly averted their eyes.

As he and Rey sat side-by-side on stools at the bar counter, people still sneaked fearful glances at Ben, whose commanding presence was almost tangible.

The bar room itself was slightly smaller than Maz Kenata's, but busier and louder; drunk people and aliens around them spoke animatedly, while the upbeat music in the background pulsated through the walls, the ground.

Ben ordered them each a tall, dark orange drink that was unfamiliar to Rey. Its taste was much stronger than that of the drink she'd had with Poe before.

"This place is a lot different than Ma—" Rey cut herself off abruptly, not wanting to bring up someone from Ben's past.

"Maz Kenata's?" Ben finished, subsequently taking another gulp of his drink as his eyes remained on hers.

"Yes," Rey said. "Maz's bar isn't as lively as this." Her eyes surveyed the bustling room.

Ben nodded once, turning to look around them for a few moments. When his gaze returned back to hers, there was a stirring in his eyes. His gaze remained on hers, and Rey felt flushed. "How do you like it?" He finally asked, nodding to the large drink in her hands.

"It's...strong?" She said uncertainly, her face growing hot. "It's definitely more potent than anything I've had before." Rey felt her inhibitions beginning to fade away with the alcohol as she formulated a question to pose back at him.

"When can we start my training?" She asked suddenly, raising her eyebrows.

Ben gave a small sigh, but a half-smile formed upon his mouth. "Now, if you wish," he said.

_"Now?_ What should I do?" She asked, looking around the room.

"Well, perhaps something...discreet," he said, taking another drink from his glass. He nodded to a group of men standing near them. "Read someone's thoughts."

Accepting the challenge, Rey turned to her side and decided upon a middle-aged man. She focused and tried to clear her mind as she began pressing into his head. She was only able to pick up general feelings from the man, the alcohol's pacifying effect thwarting her full access to the Force. She sensed his drunkenness, as well a feeling she had trouble discerning.

"What did you see?" Ben asked, folding his arms.

"Well, I only really _felt_ things..." Rey trailed. "I felt his intoxication, and...well, I'm not completely sure," she added.

Ben nodded once, a half-smile forming across his mouth as he shifted his dark gaze.

"Can I ask you something else?" Rey asked, taking a sip from her still half-full glass. Ben nodded, leaning slightly forward on his stool. His cheeks had developed an uncharacteristic shade of pink, which Rey assumed was from the effects of the alcohol.

"Ask away," Ben said, waving a hand.

"What do you like to do? I mean, just for fun?" Rey said.

Ben seemed to consider the question, tilting his head as his gaze flickered around behind Rey. "'Fun?'" He asked, his gaze detached.

"I mean, how do you spend your free time? Don't you have any?"

"Not much," Ben said, leaning his elbow onto the countertop beside him. "But I find ways to occupy my time."

"Such as?"

"Why does this interest you?" He asked, tilting his head.

Rey opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. He didn't seem very open to answering her questions after all. She'd hoped that the alcohol would have loosened his restraint. _Perhaps…_

Rey scrunched her face as she forced herself to chug the remainder of her drink. Her throat burned as she thudded her glass back down onto the countertop. Ben's eyebrows raised in concern as he stared at her.

"You...really want to drink, huh?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Can I get another one?" She asked him, glancing at his nearly-empty glass.

He hesitated to answer. "Uh, yeah, sure," he said, swivelling back to face the bartender.

Ben finished his drink just as the bartender brought them another round. Rey pulled her drink in front of her, tilting the glass left and right.

"I like to read," Ben said abruptly, keeping a hand around his drink on the counter. Rey looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "You asked me what I do in my free time. I like to read."

"I like to read, too," Rey said, her eyes drifting around the decorated walls of the bar. "I read a lot of books when I was on Jakku. There really wasn't much else to do, there."

"Besides scavenging, you mean?" Ben asked, a teasing smile on his mouth. He took another gulp from his drink.

Rey nodded, taking a small sip from her own. She ran a hand through her hair, but her fingers caught at the knot at the top of her head. Her scalp was sore from having her hair constantly pulled back in the three knots at the back of her head. Rey began to undo them, her hair falling down onto her shoulders one section at a time.

She ran her hands all the way through her hair as she surveyed the room, placing a hand on her hot cheek. Her mind felt hazy, a pleasant warmth filling her body from the alcohol. She turned on her stool and faced Ben again, who was looking at her fixedly.

Rey's brows knitted together, unsure of his gaze. "What is it?" She asked quietly.

Ben opened his mouth slightly as if to speak, then quickly shifted his eyes back to his drink. His posture seemed stiff.

Deciding to brush it off, Rey turned and took a drink from her glass, and out of her peripheral vision she saw Ben do the same. Rey felt a strange tension in the air, and her heart quickened. _The Force bond,_ she thought.

"What do you like to read about?" Ben asked abruptly, seeming to want to make conversation again. Rey looked over at Ben, and she found her eyes tracing the line of his back, his arms. She quickly shifted her gaze back to the bar counter, confused at the feelings that the drink arose in her.

"I, um. I've read a lot of fairytales, myths, legends. I probably most like to read about the heroes and history of the Old Republic," she said, turning to face him again. "What about you? You like to read about Flash Speeders, right?"

A small smile spread on his face. "Yes. I caught you reading that, too," he said, lifting an eyebrow.

"You like vehicles, huh? Speeders, ships...well, _your_ ship, at least" she said teasingly.

Ben chuckled. "I'm not going to deny that," he said, slurring his words. He leaned towards her. "You hate that ship, don't you?"

"I don't _hate_ it, it just doesn't have a lot of space to move around. No place to sleep."

Ben shrugged, the movement exaggerated.

"That ship's kind of scary, actually, with those giant wings. It looks very intimidating."

Ben laughed. "You think so? That may or may not have been intentional," he said, narrowing his eyes at her. He straightened his posture as he looked around the room, running a hand through his hair. "Speaking of which, we should leave. We don't want to be recognized by anyone." He stood up from his seat.

Rey slid from her bar seat, but as she stood, she felt as if the alcohol hit her twice as hard. Her legs were numb, wobbly, and she gripped the bar to keep herself standing. She let out a quick breath.

"You got it?" Ben asked, and Rey looked up at him, her head spinning.

"Yeah," she said, and took a step away from the bar. As she did so, her knees buckled, but Ben was quick to grip her upper arm to keep her from falling down. "I've got it," Rey mumbled, pulling her arm away from his grasp. She took a slow step forward, and another, but on the third step, her legs wobbled, and Ben was quick to move to her side, holding her up by the arm.

"At this rate, it'll be an hour before we get back to the ship," he said, but his voice sounded amused. He bent down.

"Hey!" Rey exclaimed as he swept her off of her feet, holding her against his chest. He began carrying her out of the bar. "What am I, a baby?" She slurred, tilting her face back to look up at his, her head bobbing with his every step.

"Basically," he said, chuckling. Rey's head spun and her body felt warm, but it was pleasant. As Ben carried her out into the hangar, she gripped onto his arm tightly, not wanting to fall as she realized how far from the ground she was. "This was a horrible idea," Ben muttered, but Rey saw a small smile upon his face.

As they reached the ship, Ben set her onto the ground. He moved to the ship's door and pressed a control, opening it. He then scooped her back up and stepped up into the dark of the ship, the door closing automatically behind them.

He carried her into the front section of the ship, setting her down into her usual seat in the pilot's chair. As he did so, he stood over her a moment, his mouth opening slightly. Rey tucked herself into a ball in the chair, her eyes flickering up to his. Their gaze held for a moment, but then Ben turned, moving out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Rey asked, turning her face back over her shoulder.

Ben stopped just as he was about to turn the corner, looking back at her. "I'm going to sleep," he said. "I can't fly this thing while drunk." He turned and left Rey alone in the dark room.

She turned and stared ahead through the ship's window at the grey of the hangar outside. Her thoughts travelled back to the look Ben had given her just now, the look he'd given her earlier in the bar when she'd let her hair down. Rey realized she'd seen that look before, in the faces of men. It was the same look she'd seen on Poe's face when they'd been swimming in the lagoon, near the waterfall.

But Rey wasn't able to contemplate the thought much further, her eyelids growing heavy as she began to drift into a deep sleep.


	22. Déjà vu

"We're nearly to Drecenia," Ben announced as he stood over the pilot's controls.

"Good," Rey said, stretched out casually across her chair. "I think I would lose my mind if I had to stay in here any longer."

For four long days they had been travelling through empty space, little conversation passing between them as Ben kept a vigilant watch over his security scanners. Rey noticed that he seemed to have grown more testy, no longer as open to teasing, and certainly not open to any questioning. Rey often chose her words carefully, not wanting to trigger the full force of his temper, whatever that would entail.

Though she felt more at ease around Ben now, no longer as intimidated by his sizable presence, Rey still felt a tension between them, assuming it was the connection of their Force bond. She felt a rising electricity deep down to her core, and her heart beat harder in her chest whenever she merely looked at Ben.

Rey couldn't help but wonder why the Force drew her to him physically; she experienced emotions and drives that she felt to be confusing.

She repeatedly reflected on when Ben's arms had wrapped around her when she'd been flooded with his memories, as well as when he'd carried her through the fuel station. She had a strange yearning to feel his arms around her once again, but she tried to repress these impulses.

She studied him as he analyzed the ship's controls, as she'd now done many times before. Her eyes traced over Ben's lanky, masculine figure, the soft tendrils of his thick black hair.

Rey let her own hair down more often now. Out of boredom, she tried new hairstyles for herself, faced with nothing else to do in the dark, empty ship. She'd experimented with ponytails, buns, braids. She felt disappointed that Ben never commented on the obvious changes in her hair.

Rey now leaned her head back in her chair, kicking her feet as they hung over the edge of the armrest. She felt uncomfortable with the long spans of silence that took place between her and Ben.

"Don't you ever get lonely, flying alone in this dark thing?" Rey asked, wondering how he would react to the question.

Ben seemed to stop with whatever he was typing onto a screen, turning his head slightly. "Lonely?"

"Yes."

He turned his face further to meet her eyes, and Rey regretted the question as his expression soured. "Shouldn't I be asking you, Scavenger?" He snapped. "You're the one who was abandoned on a barren rock."

Rey frowned, momentarily hurt, but he had a point. Ben dropped his eyes, turning his face back to the controls.

They remained silent for about a half hour after this brief exchange before Rey saw a growing grey dot on the horizon through the view of the ship's window. She stood up from her chair, walking up to the control board but keeping her space from Ben. She somehow sensed that he wanted to maintain distance between them.

The small grey planet of Drecenia grew near, and Rey realized that its coloring was the mark of ice and snow. She looked down at her thin tan clothing, wondering how cold the surface of the planet would actually be.

Upon reaching the planet, Ben silently descended the ship down through the thick atmosphere. Minutes later, they broke through the cloud layer as their ship descended along with the falling snow.

Rey scowled, seeing no lights or signs of civilization. "Isn't this planet inhabited by anyone?" Rey asked, scanning the white horizon.

"Not by anything sentient," Ben said.

Rey turned her face to look at him. "What lives here, then?"

"Nothing you'd want to encounter," he said cryptically, meeting her eyes for a moment.

Rey turned her face from his, disappointed at his continued reluctance to answer her questions. _He must get some sort of backwards enjoyment out of it,_ she thought.

As the shuttle sped along the white snow below, Rey saw small structures forming on the horizon, set in front of the white-splotched green of a snowy forest. Ben steered them toward the small encampment.

"You said nothing sentient lived here?" Rey asked confusedly.

"They don't any longer," Ben said as he slowly began landing the ship near the encampment. He descended the shuttle near one of the small, low concrete buildings. "This was once used as a training base for snowtroopers of the First Order," he continued, "but after some...accidents, they abandoned the place. They aren't coming back."

"Accidents?" Rey asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ben shut off the ship's engine controls as the shuttle settled down into the snow. He then turned to face her. "The creatures that live here aren't exactly welcoming."

Rey wondered what they could be. The only animals she'd ever seen were the beasts of burden on Jakku and the small pets of the people on Trora and other planets. "What are they?" She asked.

"You'll know them when you see them," Ben said darkly, heading out of the room. Rey followed him to the back storage chamber, where he was pulling on his dark cloak and scarf. Rey stepped around him to grab her own, wrapping the scarf twice around her neck and mouth in preparation for the cold outside. Ben looked down at her briefly and silently slid past her, out of the room. He moved towards the ship's side exit.

Ben waited for Rey by the ship's side door before opening it. When the door hitched open, a blast of wintry wind surged into the ship, carrying in a gust of white snowflakes. Rey blinked hard at the cold, wrapping her arms around her sides as she followed Ben out into the frozen air.

She followed closely behind Ben as he stalked through the thick snow, his boots crunching with each heavy step. Rey shivered, her teeth chattering against the cloth of the scarf. She blinked in quick succession as snowflakes landed in her eyelashes, making it difficult to focus on the several small, grey buildings ahead.

Ben led her to the dwelling at the center of the circle of structures, using the Force to slide open the heavy metal door. He waited for her to pass through, then followed in behind her as he shut the door.

It was warmer here inside the house-like structure, but not by entry hall to the dwelling led into a small open sitting area with a large stone hearth before it. A small kitchen area lay beyond the sitting area, as well as another hallway leading to several doors, which Rey presumed to sleeping rooms. Rey's heart sunk as she noticed there was no wood in the fireplace.

"We need wood to start the fire," Rey said, pulling her scarf down from her face.

Ben nodded, but didn't remove his scarf. His eyes lingered on the room around them, as if reminiscing. Rey narrowed her eyes.

"Have you been here before?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ben seemed to snap out of his daze as his eyes flickered to hers. He nodded.

"How long ago?"

He pulled his scarf down under his chin when he responded. "Many years ago."

"Why were you here? I thought you said this was for stormtroopers," Rey said, leaning against a chair behind her.

"Snowtroopers," he corrected her, and Rey frowned. She looked up at him expectantly. "I trained here once, too," he said, glancing out the small window to their side.

"Can I see?" Rey asked, tiling her head slightly. She began pressing into his mind, as always it was walled.

"No," Ben said quickly, lowering his brows.

Rey stood up, frowning at him again. "Why are you always so closed off?" She asked suddenly, stepping towards him.

He frowned, grinding his jaw as he looked to the ground for a moment. He then looked back up at her. "Wood for the fire," he said, obviously attempting to change the subject as he turned back towards the entryway.

Rey reluctantly followed him back out into the snow. They headed through the tall line of trees behind the small encampment.

Once inside the thin forest, Ben whipped out his lightsaber and ignited it, stalking towards a tall tree about twice the width of himself. Rey watched as his lightsaber crackled and sliced through the thick wood in a single broad swipe, the tree slowly toppling over to the side. As it crashed down into the snow with a loud thud, flurries of white snow spiraled up into the air.

Shivering from the cold, Rey moved up to the fallen trunk and pulled out her own saber, igniting it. She slashed at the trunk several times, but her strokes did not cut all the way through the wood as his had.

She paused as Ben moved towards the trunk across from her. He lowered his scarf from his mouth, revealing his cheeks flushed pink from the cold. He extended his red lightsaber over the trunk, parallel to the ground. He glanced across at Rey.

"Like this," he said, lifting his lightsaber before slamming it down powerfully, cutting cleanly down through the log. The wood smoked and crackled from the heat of the lightsaber, the edges of the severed wood glowing red.

Ben took a step backwards, looking expectantly at Rey, who positioned her own lightsaber over the trunk as he had. She lifted it and brought it straight down in a single, strong movement, cutting down through the wood. She was able to sever it completely, although not with as much ease as Ben. Rey let out a visible white breath as the wood again sizzled and glowed from the heat of the lightsaber.

She looked across at Ben, whose eyebrows raised ever so slightly. Rey took this as his approval, and she shivered as she watched his boots crunch forward through the snow. Using the Force, he rolled the now severed chunk of log towards him, returning the scarf back over his nose and mouth. He leaned over the chunk of log and began diligently chopping it into smaller, even sections with his lightsaber.

Rey felt chilled to the cone, and she wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered. She alternated bending her knees, trying to keep her body moving to stay warm. As she watched Ben, an idea suddenly developed in her mind.

Rey stepped up onto the large fallen trunk before her, extending the point of her lightsaber out towards Ben, who was leaned over his work. He looked up as he stopped slicing through the wood, staring up at her with lowered brows. He slowly straightened himself as he stared up at her. Rey could not decipher his expression since the scarf covered most of his face, but his dark eyes seemed to stir.

Ben stepped forward, lifting his crackling lightsaber to hers. The lightsabers hissed as they met, sending small sparks of red and blue flying off from them. He slid his saber along hers in a slow, smooth motion, a perverse toying. After a few moments Ben pulled his lightsaber away, his eyes still locked onto Rey's.

He suddenly swung his lightsaber at her, forcing Rey to leap backwards off of the log. Ben took her former place atop the fallen trunk, pointing his saber down at Rey, mimicking the stance she'd taken just moments before. Rey swung her saber up him, hoping to force him off, but Ben parried her swing, leaping down from the trunk.

He took several strong, controlled swipes at her, and Rey was quick to meet his every attack. She groaned as he made hit after hit at her, forcing her to back up with the power at which his saber struck hers.

Ben paused, holding his saber to his side. Rey took this as an opportunity to catch her breath, and she lowered her own saber, breathing quickly. She watched Ben as he stood across from her. He in turn watched her fixedly.

After a few moments Ben abruptly stepped forward, swinging his crackling lightsaber quickly over his head before bringing it down fiercely, clashing it into her lightsaber. Rey's saber was nearly knocked out of her grasp, but she was quick to widen her stance, bending her knees to absorb the shock of the hit. Ben's saber slid off of hers, and he took several quick sideways swings at her.

Rey met his every attack, but she knew he was going easy on her. His movements seemed more playful than aggressive. She wanted to see him in full action, now that he seemed to have become much more adept at dueling.

Ducking under one of his swings, she jabbed at him several times, causing him to quickly move backwards. He grunted, his eyebrows shadowing his dark eyes as he swung at her with increasing speed and force.

Losing energy, Rey began struggling to match his moves, his quick footwork. His attacks were becoming more brutal.

She groaned as Ben at last knocked her lightsaber out of her hands with his own, sending it flying a few feet away.

Rey moved forward to go and grab it, but Ben quickly blocked her path, pointing his saber out at her. He made savage jabbing motions with it, forcing her to stumble backwards. She looked up at him in confusion, and his dark eyes focused upon hers.

She tripped backwards over a tree root sticking out of the snow and nearly fell backwards, but she quickly held her palms out to her sides to balance herself with the Force.

"That's better," Rey heard Ben's deep muffled voice through his scarf. He lowered his saber, stepping to the side. Rey straightened herself, now able to see the shiny hilt of her lightsaber lying in the snow a ways away. She glanced at Ben, who still stood watching her, and she outstretched her hand, using the Force to bring the saber flying back into her grasp. She ignited the blue plasma of her saber, adjusting her grip and holding it perpendicular to the ground in front of her, prepared for another attack.

Ben began to pace slowly around her, circling her in a predatory manner. Yet he remained seemingly calm, his ignited saber dangling at his side. "If you do not use the Force with your movements, you are not taking full advantage of your abilities," he said, stopping before her. He held his lightsaber out in front of him. "The Force will strengthen your fighting."

He stepped forward, watching her, apparently waiting for her to make a move. Rey closed her eyes momentarily, taking in a deep breath as she willed the power of the Force within her, just as she had during her and Ben's first duel on Starkiller Base.

When she opened her eyes, she felt the electricity of the Force within her, adrenaline pulsing through her. She smacked hard at Ben's lightsaber, clashing against it with smooth, strong hits. Ben met her hits with ease, and Rey gritted her teeth as she began fueling her attacks with as much energy as she could, matching Ben's quick footwork. Ben's red lightsaber hissed in protest each time Rey clashed her saber against it, bright sparks shedding off into the air around them.

Ben skillfully traded his saber from one hand to the other as he parried her hits, his boots crunching heavily in the snow. At one point their sabers locked together, and Rey strained to use the Force to strengthen herself, keeping her saber pushing against his. She met Ben's eyes, his face strained in concentration, but there was an avidity in his eyes.

Suddenly a shrill, animalistic screech sounded off in the distance, causing the hairs on the back of Rey's neck to stand. Ben abruptly stepped back, sliding his lightsaber from hers. He turned around to face in the direction that the sound had come from. He then flipped his head back to look at Rey.

"That is our cue to leave," he said, moving back through the snow as he unengaged his lightsaber. Rey followed closely behind him back through the trees to the pile of chopped wood. She continually turned to look behind her, afraid that whatever had made the horrible sound would be stalking after them.

Reattaching their lightsabers at their hip, Ben and Rey scooped up the chopped wood, moving swiftly out of the line of trees and back towards their temporary establishment.

….

Ben sat up abruptly in his bed, blinking into the pitch darkness ahead. He felt a calling through the Force, and he sensed urgently for Rey. He felt relieved as he sensed her calm presence near, in the bedroom across from him. _She's still asleep._

Anxiety began to pulse through him, however, as Ben realized the source of the familiar summons.

He pulled himself out of bed and put on his cloak and scarf, attaching his lightsaber at his belt. He moved swiftly but silently into the central area of the abode, leaning down to pull on his boots.

He was about to head out through the front door of the house, but he froze, looking behind him in the direction of the bedroom hallway, hesitating. Ben then forced himself outside into the dark, frozen air.

He trudged through the thick snow toward his ship ahead, the icy wind biting his face. As he made it into the command shuttle, he turned on the controls, extending the ship's wings to their full length as the engine began to heat up. After a few minutes he shifted the ascension engines on, and the ship rose from the icy ground beneath.

….

Rey sat up abruptly, sensing something amiss. She hopped out of bed, staring ahead into the dark. She was startled as she didn't feel Ben's presence. She strained to listen at a distant, fading rumbling outside.

Rey ran out of her room, using the Force to fling open the front door to the dwelling. She stopped right outside as she looked up into the dark sky, seeing Kylo's black shuttle high in the air, rising towards the atmosphere.

"No!" Rey yelled up at the ship. _"No!"_ She stumbled forward clumsily in the shock of the moment, so like her distant memory of when she had first been abandoned as a child on Jakku, watching the ship as it left her behind.

Rey fell forward onto her knees in the freezing snow, but she felt numb to the cold, to the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, would love to hear some more thoughts!


	23. The Knights of Ren

Luke stood overlooking Trora on the station above the planet, a hollowness within him. He thought of Leia on the planet below, too frail to even eat. She was bedridden, IVs in her at all times just to keep her functioning. It made him feel sick inside, to think of all that she had lost. It amazed him how even now Leia still yearned for her son.

Her grief had turned to physical sickness, and now that Rey was gone, Luke wondered if he too may be headed towards the same fate.

Rey, the shining ray of light. The hope she had filled in him had made him believe that the light side of the Force could still persist. But now that she had apparently gone to seek tutelage from Ben, Luke had lost all hope. Rey was strong, but Luke hadn't taught her enough for her to be able to defend herself against someone like Ben, someone who had been trained by the Sith Lord returned from the dead, Darth Plagueis himself.

Luke sensed a presence behind him, and he stiffened.

"You _must_ believe that she will find her path, Luke," Maz said from behind him. "Even if that brings her to Ben Solo. Perhaps they may help each other. He is still your _nephew,_ Luke."

Luke tensed. "I feel responsible for what has happened, everything. It is my fault that Ben went to the Dark in the first place, _my_ fault that Rey will fall down the same path," he said, his voice shaking. He turned to face Maz. "Even if it was _you_ that led her to that fate."

"Luke, as I have said before, I am no Jedi, but I know the Force. I _know_ what it is telling me, and it is not what you think. None of this was your fault. If you want to blame me, fine, but you _must_ trust in the Force," Maz said, her small eyes raising.

"I no longer listen to the Force, it is misguiding. It has led you to believe that Rey belongs in the hands of someone violent, _unstable,_ someone who has the nerve to kill his own _father…"_ Luke trailed. His eyes moistened with tears as he thought of Han. He looked back to Maz, his brows lowering. "And you will answer for your treachery to the council of the Order of Organa, for sending Rey into the clutches of Death himself."

Maz opened her mouth to speak, but reading Luke's angry expression, she knew that she would not be able to persuade him otherwise.

….

"It's been a long time, Kylo Ren," the man said, moving forward as Ben entered the main floor of the large ship orbiting Drecenia. The man extended his hand out to Ben, who hesitantly took it to shake it.

"Nodin," Ben said, nodding once and releasing his hand back to his side. Ben nodded at the two other men standing behind Nodin, who nodded in greeting back. It was a stiff reunion.

"I sense another Force-sensitive is near," Nodin said, cocking his head. "Who is it?"

Ben frowned, shifting his gaze to the side, hesitating. "You remember the girl," he said, looking back at Nodin.

"You've managed to find her?" Nodin asked, genuinely surprised. "I thought she is a senator now, of the Azalea system?"

"Yes," Ben said, his mind racing. Nodin looked at him expectantly, but he didn't continue.

"Well, what is she doing with you?" Nodin asked, raising an eyebrow. "Will she be joining us?"

Ben shook his head quickly. "No."

"Why waste another user of the Force? I mean, what are you plan—"

"It is _not_ your concern," Ben interjected, giving Nodin a sharp look.

Nodin nodded and sighed. "Alright. A man of few words still, I see," he said, beginning to pace in front of Ben, his arms folded behind his back. He glanced back at Ben. "Just as when we were just kids. You remember. Sometimes I wish I could go back," he said, stopping before Ben. "Simpler times."

Ben nodded, sensing that Nodin was attempting to lighten the situation, but he couldn't help reflecting on when he and Nodin had been close friends as children.

"And your uncle," Nodin continued, releasing a bitter chuckle. "It's a shame, really, he was so blinded by the light. So ignorant of the power of the dark, unwilling to teach us the full spectrum of the Force."

Ben furrowed his brows, remembering when Luke had been training him and Nodin as young Jedi.

"I've always been so glad that you weren't fooled like the rest of them," Nodin said, looking earnestly at Ben. "You've always been like a younger brother to me, you know."

Ben looked at Nodin, realizing the sincerity in his statement. When they were younger, Ben used to look up to Nodin as a sort of older brother, a guiding friend. In a small sense, perhaps he still did.

"Yet it was you that Supreme Leader Snoke chose as his apprentice. And a wise decision it was. _I_ would have been a joke as a student of the Sith," Nodin said, cracking a smile, but there was a darkness to his face.

"Where are the others?" Ben asked Nodin, gesturing to the two other Knights behind him.

"They're on another ship of the same kind, not far from here. We like to stay mobile, you know. As I'm sure you do, as well," Nodin said, raising an eyebrow.

"I came across Snoke, not too long ago," Ben said, rubbing his arm.

Surprise spread across Nodin and the other's faces. "And?"

"I barely made it out alive," Ben said, and Nodin nodded quickly.

"That was _lucky,"_ he said in a tone that was almost stern. "I trust that you haven't changed your mind?" Nodin asked, looking at him seriously. "Because there is still a way, you can return to Snoke, it's not too la—"

_"Trust_ me," Ben growled, "my mind has been made."

"I just wanted to make sure, since...well, as you know, Snoke has had the entire First Order hunting you for the past two years. But, now it seems that he's moved on to other things, focusing on taking down the Order of Organa," Nodin said. His expression suddenly grew sullen. "Speaking of which—I'm sure you're aware of your mother."

Ben opened his mouth to speak but bit back his words, shifting his gaze in clear despondence.

"I am sorry, Brother," Nodin said, "but once she has passed, it will all become easier. I know this is what holds you back, this one remaining ray of light."

Ben felt a growing sense of repugnance towards the conversation, towards Nodin. He felt antsy, wanting to leave, to return to Rey.

Nodin clearly noticed Ben's unease. "Well, I'm not sure what your plans are for now, but when you figure all of this out—when you're done with this _scavenger_ of yours, we look forward to welcoming you back."

Ben twitched at Nodin's insult, but he knew that lashing out at him would be pointless. He composed himself. "Until we meet again," Ben said, nodding towards Nodin and the others.

Nodin did a half-bow, gesturing towards Ben. "Until we meet again, Master Ren," he said, and Ben thought his tone sounded somewhat derisive. Ben turned to leave, but Nodin spoke again. "One more thing."

Ben turned around as one of the two men behind Nodin, Hector, stepped forward, a familiar black object in his hands. Ben stared at it a moment, his eyes flickering from the helmet to Nodin and the others.

"Take it. It's a token of our friendship, our brotherhood, a reminder of our mission...in case you have gotten sidetracked," Nodin said, and Ben stepped forward, reluctantly taking his helmet back into his hands.

….

Ben descended his ship back down in the same spot on Drecenia, watching the white tendrils of snow swirl up into the air as the shuttle made contact with the ground. The bluish light of the planet's rising sun had only just begun to light the dim landscape.

Ben wrapped his scarf around his neck as he headed to the ship's side door. He paused, staring back at his metal helmet that sat atop a chair at the back wall of the ship. He decided to leave it there.

As he stepped down from the ship into the snow, he sensed Rey nearing. He looked up towards the circle of low buildings, surprised to see Rey running towards him through the snow.

He stared at her in consternation as she stopped abruptly before him a few yards away. She was panting, her face red and her cheeks slick with tears.

"You—you _left_ me," she choked, her shoulders rising and falling with each wracking breath. _"Why_ did you leave?"

Ben was taken aback at her distress. "I—I was gone barely two hours, you were asleep," he shrugged.

"Were you planning on _leaving_ me here?" Rey exclaimed, stepping towards him.

Ben shook his head quickly. "No, why would—I wouldn't—I wouldn't just _leave_ you here," he stammered, suddenly realizing the source of her panic. She must have believed that he was deserting her on this desolate planet, just as Luke had dumped her off on Jakku. "I wouldn't abandon you here," Ben said calmly.

A sob choked out of Rey's throat, and she looked down, shaking her head slowly. "Rey, I—" but he didn't know what to say to console her. Ben watched her distraughtly as she stood crying and shivering in the snow. A wave of painful guilt washed over him at her obvious trauma. He was compelled to comfort her.

Ben moved forward, breaching the gap between them, and slid his arms around her. She fell into him, ducking her head into his chest as she cried, her sobs wracking her body. He instinctively pulled her closer into his arms, wanting to give her a sense of security, warmth.

"I should have told you, I didn't think you'd wake up," Ben said, lowering his head. "I'm sorry."

Rey's sobs began to subside, and she breathed shakily against his chest. She leaned back and looked up at him, her eyebrows knitting together. "Where did you go?"

Ben frowned, slowly sliding his arms from around her, taking an awkward step backwards. "I—I had to get fuel, for the ship," he said quickly, his heart pounding in his chest. "There's a station nearby."

Rey opened her mouth in surprise, then shifted her gaze. "Now I feel ridiculous," she said bitterly.

"No, it's my fault," Ben said, stepping towards her again. "I shouldn't have left without telling you."

Rey gazed up into his eyes, her eyebrows lifting slightly. Ben couldn't bring himself to break his eyes from hers, a familiar warmth flooding through him, his heart beating hard in his chest.

Rey abruptly turned her face, her cheeks flushing red, perhaps from the cold. But Ben couldn't help but think that it was the result of something else.

"Let's go inside," Ben said, and together they trudged through the snow back towards the building. As they walked, Ben saw that Rey still appeared sullen. He wanted to lift her spirits. "You know why I couldn't leave you," he said, looking over at her.

Rey looked up at him in puzzlement. She blinked, appearing to blush. "What?"

"You haven't even finished your training," he said, giving her a small smile. He looked ahead of him again as they continued through the snow, but out of the corner of his eyes he thought he saw Rey biting back a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben seems to be facing a bit of a dilemma with his Knights. It also seems that Rey brings out the Han in him...take that as you will. Thanks for reading!


	24. Nerf Herder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Ben's dealt with his pesky Knights and he's back on Drecenia with Rey, I wonder if things are going to start heating up...

Once they were back inside the small living quarters, Rey went into the washroom in her chosen bedroom, wanting to wash the dried tears from her red, puffy face. She attempted to smooth down her frazzled, hair, but it was to no use. She sighed, staring glumly back at her unkempt reflection.

As she went back out into the living room area, she sensed Ben in the kitchen. She sat down on the long couch in front of the now-lit fireplace, enjoying its warmth. She took in a long, deep breath, relaxed now that she knew Ben had not betrayed her.

She turned, resting her arms on the back of the couch as she watched Ben pulling out instant food packs from a storage cabinet.

_"Those?"_ Rey asked, incredulous. "That's what I ate for over fifteen years of my life. Isn't there anything else?" She placed her hands at her throat, pretending to gag.

Ben looked over at her, his eyes shifting back down to the food packs as he chuckled softly to himself at her imitation. "It's all we have, until we gather other food." He emptied the powdered food into bowls, placing them into a micro oven.

"What food is even on this planet? It's all covered in snow."

"There are snowfruit here. And game."

The oven beeped, and Ben pulled out the bowls of the bread-like substance, carrying them over to the living area. He handed one to Rey and sat in a chair next to the couch.

Rey continually glanced over at Ben as they ate. It still felt strange to her to see him do such basic things, like eating and sleeping. It was difficult for her to grasp that he really was just a human like herself, with all of the same needs.

As she picked at her food, Ben stood up, having finished his quickly. As he headed into the kitchen, Rey froze as she heard a faint, feral shriek from outside, similar to the one that had sounded in the woods the day before. She flipped around on the couch and looked back at Ben with wide eyes.

He looked across from her, his face blank. "They can't get us in here," he said calmly.

Rey got up from the couch and crept over the small window on the wall to the left. It was still early in the morning, too dim for Rey to see very far through the surrounding line of trees. "Are you sure?" She called, her eyes scanning the perimeter of the encampment.

"Yes," Ben said from directly behind her. Rey gasped, nearly jumping out of her skin. She flipping around to face Ben.

"Don't _do_ that!" She exclaimed, swatting at him. He backed up a few steps, chuckling. Rey gathered her breath and tried to compose herself as she glared at him. "You know, you're a real _nerf_ herder," she snapped, shaking her head.

Ben's expression grew serious, staring at her blankly. He appeared to be taken aback.

Rey tilted her head, confused. _"What?"_

He shook his head, shifting his eyes. "Nothing, Scavenger," he muttered, turning away towards his bedroom.

Shrugging off Ben's apparent shift in mood, Rey relaxed on the couch in front of the fire for a few hours. She watched through the small window on the wall as the light of the rising sun gradually illuminated the sparkling snow outside.

Ben eventually came out of his room, pulling on his cloak and gloves as he made his way towards the couch. He stood over her as she lay outstretched, blinking up at him. "You ready?" He asked.

"For what?"

"For training," he said impassively. He stepped back as Rey hopped up from the couch, suddenly excited.

"Really?" She asked brightly.

"Not if you're going to just stand here," he said, lowering his brows.

Rey moved around him and quickly gathered her cloak and scarf from her room, pulling them on as fast as she could. She pulled on their boots and met Ben at the front door, and they headed back out into the white, sunlit world.

Ben began heading into the woods, Rey following near at his side. He led them through the trees for a while until they came to a wide clearing, where Ben stopped and turned around.

Ben lowered his scarf, rubbing his face as he surveyed the tall trees around them. He then took his lightsaber from his side, igniting it. He looked across at Rey expectantly. Rey ignited her own, watching him closely.

He stepped towards her, holding his lightsaber at an angle from her. "Strike here," he said. Rey clashed her lightsaber against his, sending blue and red sparks hissing into the air. "Again," Ben declared, and Rey repeated her movement.

Ben tilted his head, seemingly deep in speculation. "Hit here again, then on my other side," he said. Rey hit his saber, and just after she did so he flipped his lightsaber into his other hand. She made contact with it at his other side, and then dropped her lightsaber to rest at her side, looking at Ben with interest.

He tilted his head again, squinting at her lightsaber. "I wonder if…" he trailed, then backed up, turning the opposite way. He stalked over to a thin tree trunk, slashing it in half with his saber.

"What are you doing?" Rey asked, puzzled. She watched as he silently hacked at the fallen trunk, breaking a thin branch off of it. He held the branch up to his lightsaber, seemingly to compare the width.

He walked back over to her, extending his free hand. "Let me see your lightsaber," he said. Rey looked between him and her saber, hesitant. She reluctantly handed it to him, and he unengaged it.

He held the long stick to the bottom end of Rey's lightsaber's hilt. He then pulled his scarf from his neck, kneeling down as he tore a strand of fabric from it, dropping the rest to the ground. Rey watched closely as he wrapped the thick fabric around the lightsaber hilt and the stick. He rose up as he ignited the lightsaber, surveying his work. Rey observed that he'd tied the stick onto the bottom end of the saber's hilt, roughly the same length of the plasma on the other side.

Ben held it out to her, raising his eyebrows. "Try this," he said, and Rey took it from him, staring down at it in confusion.

"What...why did you do that?" She asked, scrunching her face.

"Trust me," he said, the breeze blowing his dark hair across his forehead. He reignited his own lightsaber, holding it to his side again, parallel to the ground. "Now hit my lightsaber, then my arm on my the other side with the wooden end."

Rey blinked at him in confusion, but she did as he instructed. She clashed the plasma side of her lightsaber against his saber, then tilted the plasma side down as she hit the stick against ben's outstretched arm to her right.

"Again," Ben instructed, and Rey repeated the movement. It felt less awkward this time. "Again, faster," he said, and this time, Rey's movements felt more fluid, natural. Ben studied her, placing a hand on his chin momentarily, his lightsaber dangling casually in his other hand. "Have you ever fought with any sort of long weapon, perhaps a staff of some sort?" He asked.

Rey's eyebrows raised in realization. "Yes, I have. Back on Jakku, I had a long metal staff I used for protection," she said.

"I see," he said, nodding. "That makes sense. Your fighting style reflects it. I've noticed that you tilt your lightsaber in your hands often, as if you're used to a weapon with two ends. Actually, your fighting style is reminiscent of Form VII."

Rey remembered Luke having told her about the different ancient forms of lightsaber combat. "Okay, so…?" Rey trailed, gesturing her hands out.

Ben raised an eyebrow. "I think you're meant to use a double-bladed lightsaber."

….

Ben spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon training Rey with her new makeshift lightsaber, avoiding hitting the stick-side of her saber with his own lightsaber to avoid slicing through it. Rey's movements became increasingly more fluid, more powerful as she dueled against Ben in short bursts, learning new techniques from him.

By midday Rey and Ben had removed their cloaks, sweating from their physical activity. Rey began to grow tired and hungry, kicking herself for not having eaten the instant bread earlier that morning.

"That's good for now," Ben said eventually, switching off his lightsaber.

As they headed back towards the house, Rey remembered the calls of the animals she'd heard before, and she kept a watchful eye on their surroundings.

"If you're looking for those creatures, you'd better keep your eyes to the trees," Ben said, looking down at her from his side.

"The trees? They _climb?"_ Rey asked concernedly, her eyes searching the treetops above them.

Ben snickered to himself, amused by her fear. "Don't worry, you'd hear them coming. They're noisy."

Rey looked up at him distrustfully, and he only smiled back at her. "Well, I hope you know how to fight them, if they show up," she said.

"I do. And soon you will, too," he said, elbowing her. She looked up at him in shock.

"I'm not fighting _any_ creatures, thank you," she said, frowning.

Ben laughed. "We'll see. When they do come, you'll have no choice," he said. "They can be some of the best teachers in lightsaber combat."

Not liking what she was hearing, Rey folded her arms, remaining silent the rest of the way back to the encampment.

When they returned to the house, Rey prepared a bowl of instant bread as Ben restarted the fireplace. After he did so, he stood near the fire, staring into it. He hadn't removed his cloak or gloves.

As Rey ate, she watched him silently. He seemed to have returned to his usual silent, stoic self. Yet, she sensed something was off about him, just as she had towards the end of their journey to the snowy planet.

When Rey had finished eating, putting her bowl into the automatic dishwasher, she watched Ben as he straightened his sleeves down over his gloves, seeming to snap out of his train of thought.

He looked back across the room at her. "I'm going to gather some more food," he announced, turning to leave.

"Wait," Rey said, stepping forward, and Ben stopped, looking back at her. "I'll come too."

"No," Ben said, his brows lowering. "You should just rest."

Rey's shoulders dropped as Ben turned away, heading out through the front door. Rey trudged over to the couch, flopping onto it. She felt disheartened that Ben hadn't wanted her to join him. Staring up at the ceiling, Rey shut her eyes, her heart quickening as she reflecting on the morning, how she had started the day so traumatized and progressed into sheer happiness in working on her lightsaber combat skills once again.

Rey thought about how Ben had been able to help her realize her true, natural fighting style, amazed at his ingenuity. Rey's mind wandered further, reflecting on his smooth, agile movements, the way his black hair waved in the wind. She thought of his large, dark eyes, eyes that did not to her seem malicious or violent, but warm, fiercely intelligent. Thinking about him, Rey felt giddy, light, as if she could float up from the very couch.

At late evening, after the sun had just set, Ben had still not returned. Rey began to worry, but she attempted to calm her fears, remembering how Ben said that he'd trained on the planet before. She relaxed as she trusted his capability in getting back to the house safely.

Sore and exhausted, Rey stretched on the couch, then headed to her room to sleep.

….

When Rey came out into the kitchen the next morning she found a pile of bright red fruit on the counter, and she eagerly took one. Her arms were incredibly sore, and she stretched them between taking bites of the sweet fruit.

She heard footsteps and sensed Ben's presence as he entered near the kitchen in just a T-shirt and his pants, barefoot and messy-haired. He blinked at her slowly, rubbing his tired eyes.

"When did you get back? I tried waiting up for you," Rey said.

"Sometime during the night," he said cryptically. He gestured out his hand, using the Force to pull Rey's bitten fruit from her grasp and into his palm.

"Hey!" She exclaimed. Ben smiled sleepily, taking a bite of the fruit as he looked at her defiantly. "You bantha-headed Jawa," she muttered teasingly, cracking a smile.

"Scavenger," Ben said between bites of the fruit, moving into the living room.

….

That day, Ben led her again to the forest clearing, continuing with teaching her how to use her makeshift double lightsaber. Towards the afternoon, Ray sat down in the snow, exhausted and sore.

"Do you think I could ever actually make one?" Rey asked, rolling the hilt of her lightsaber in the snow before her.

Ben looked down across at her, puzzled. "Make what?"

"A double-bladed lightsaber," she said. "Could I ever make one?"

Ben considered for a few moments. "Yes, you could. But you would have to go and harvest the Kyber crystal yourself."

"Is that what you did?" Rey probed, nodding towards the hilt of his lightsaber in his grasp.

"Yes," Ben said. "Although...the crystal in my lightsaber is cracked, I didn't put it together properly. But you could."

Rey cracked a teasing smile, shielding her eyes against the sun as she peered up at him. "Yeah, your lightsaber seems pretty...uh...unstable."

"It is," Ben said, observing the hilt of his lightsaber as he rotated it in his hands. He ignited it before him, looking at the light of its crackling red plasma. "So it's _especially_ dangerous," he said, raising an eyebrow at Rey as his face turned darkly mischievous. Suddenly, he lurched towards her, and Rey jumped to her feet.

She hadn't had the chance to grab her own lightsaber, and she ran away from Ben, laughing freely as he chased behind her through the snow.

….

Rey and Ben didn't return to the house until sunset, until both of them were thoroughly hungry and exhausted.

As soon as they got back to the dwelling, they both ate, Ben finishing his food first as usual.

As Rey sat on the couch, leisurely finishing her bread and piece of fruit, Ben sat on the carpet before her, facing the fire.

Rey reflected on the course of the day. She realized that she hadn't felt this content in a very long time. She felt that she now had meaning, _purpose._ She was astonished at how fast she was learning from Ben.

Rey was also surprised at how patient he was being in training her; she'd half expected him to be irritable and more closed off. But he seemed to enjoy working with her.

As Rey finished eating, she focused on the back of Ben's unmoving head as he stared ahead into the fire, seemingly lost in thought. Again, he seemed sullen, despondent, and Rey wondered what was riding on his conscience. She watched as his shoulders seemed to lift and drop in a small sigh.

Placing her bowl onto the ground, Rey stood from the couch, slowly moving to Ben's side. He glanced up at her, the light of the fire glinting in his eyes. He returned his gaze to the hearth before him as Rey sat down next to him. She opened her mouth, hesitating to speak as she turned her face slightly towards his.

"Is something...wrong?" Rey asked, studying his profile, the soft curls of his hair.

"Nothing is wrong," Ben said, and Rey picked up on his subtly defensive tone.

"There's something troubling you...I can feel it," Rey said softly, looking at over at him with concern. She leaned slightly toward him. "You can tell me, you know."

Ben lowered his gaze, ducking his head slightly as he shifted his jaw. He sighed shakily. "My mother. Leia," he began, pausing. "She's grown ill. I can sense it," he said, his face twitching.

Rey's chest tightened, sensing the pain hidden in his voice, the sorrow growing in her own heart. "Oh, Leia...I'm so sorry, Ben," she breathed. She gingerly placed her palm on the sleeve of his large upper arm, sliding it down tenderly. He seemed to lean slightly away from her gesture, and she removed her hand.

"Don't," he murmured, but his voice was soft. He furrowing his brows and turned his face away from her.

Something ignited inside of Rey as she sensed that his seeming aversion did not reflect the truth.

She felt compelled to lean slowly towards him, placing her palm on the ground at her side between them. Ben turned his head slightly, his dark eyes looking at her askance. His expression read that he was conflicted, and his dark eyes stirred. His face seemed to grow softer as he slowly turned his face towards hers, his gaze unfaltering.

As they leaned towards each other, Rey's heart fluttered, her mouth opening slightly as his gaze flickered from her eyes to her mouth and back again. Rey took in a quick breath as she softly closed her eyes, instinctively leaning towards his face.

Rey gently pressed her lips to his, hearing him take in a small breath as she did so. Rey felt a shock, a sparking magnetism as their lips met. Ben's mouth parted slightly, and Rey felt his hand slide to the side of her cheek, gently cupping her face.

She gently pressed her mouth further into his, and she heard him breath in through his nose, her cheeks hot.

Rey slowly, gently slid her lips from his, his fingers still resting upon her cheek as she leaned her face slightly back, dazedly opening her eyes up at Ben's. He opened his eyes halfway, and their gaze held for a full moment. Ben slowly slid his hand from her jaw, and Rey blinked, shifting her gaze away.

Rey felt flushed, and she leaned back further, letting out a quick breath. She looked back at Ben, whose eyes focused hazily on hers. His mouth was still partly open, his eyebrows slightly raised.

Rey broke her gaze from his again, and from the corner of her eye she saw him turn and face the fire. He tok in a deep, shaky breath. Rey's thoughts began to race as she came to, unsure of how to react to what she'd just done. She self-consciously tucked her hair behind her ears, staring at the ground before her. "I—I'm sorry, I don't know…" she stuttered, her heart pounding in her chest. She rubbed together her now clammy hands.

Ben looked back to her, running a hand through his hair. "No, I…" he began, but Rey spoke before he could continue his thought.

"I'm just really, _really,_ exhausted," she said quickly, and she rose. Ben looked up at her in surprise. "I'm going to sleep, goodnight," Rey said, turning to leave the room.

"Goodnight,' Ben responded, but his tone sounded more like a question.


	25. Beasts Strange and Familiar

General Hux coughed, clearing his throat. "Supreme Leader, the Order of Organa is gaining power. Their fleets have grown stronger," General Hux said as he bowed before Snoke himself. "Shall we release our new fleets?"

Snoke, who stood a towering seven feet, looked down irritably at Hux and the other generals across the table in the large conference room. "I believe it is time to do so. Now that I have made sure that the princess is no longer at the helm of the resistance, I sense there is disorder in the Organa faction," he said, gesturing out a slim hand. "But we are still missing a key component. One that _you,_ General Hux, have failed to return to me," Snoke hissed slowly.

"Sir?" Hux asked nervously, confused.

"Kylo Ren believes he has escaped from our grasp. But he is naive. I sense him now that he is in the presence of another Force-sensitive. One that has been on the Finalizer before, but due to all of _your_ poor direction, managed to escape." He glared down at the generals around the table, who ducked their heads, avoiding his piercing gaze.

Hux's lip curled at Kylo Ren's mention, but he remained silent as he brainstormed for a moment. "The Scavenger from Jakku?" Hux asked, surprised.

"Very _good,"_ Snoke sneered condescendingly. "For now, release the new troops. We must make our presence _known._ In the meantime, I will collect Kylo Ren myself, along with _you,_ General," he announced. He glared directly at Hux, who shrunk under his gaze. "Ren is apparently under the impression that he is free to follow his own will. We shall _remind_ Ren of his place."

"Yes, Supreme Leader," Hux nodded, unable to hide his eager smile.

….

"Master Luke," Poe addressed, shifting his pilot's helmet around in his hands. Finn stood at his side. Luke turned and nodded at them in greeting. "We have some pressing news."

Finn stepped forward. "Sir, I know it's...it's a difficult time for you, for all of us, of course, but we have some good news we thought you might like to hear."

Luke gave a solemn nod. "Go on."

"Through better trade alliances with the Azalea system we've been prospering, and we've been able to purchase a lot of new ships and equipment. We no longer have to use the leftovers from the old Resistance."

Finn looked to Poe, who continued. "Our forces have expanded rapidly in the past two months. Our recruiting programs have finally paid off, and our Star Fleet is now well over twice the size as it was at the start of the year," Poe explained.

Luke nodded silently, looking from Poe to Finn, who felt dispirited when Luke's face remained sullen.

Poe stepped forward, his eyes brightening. "Sir, we are fully equipped to face the First Order once again."

Luke shifted his gaze, considering. "I see. That is good, very good. But our enemies have grown stronger too, I have sensed it. And...I am afraid we are no longer fighting the First Order," he said, his tone dark, sullen. His gaze slowly lifted. "We are now facing a new Empire."

….

For the following week, Ben continued training Rey as usual, with absolutely no mention of the kiss the had shared. He helped her to further develop her skills in lightsaber combat, still having her use the her makeshift double-ended saber.

Even though they never mentioned what had happened between them, pretending as if it had never happened in the first place, Rey felt that their dynamic had shifted. There was a distinct tension between them, one that made Rey acutely aware of her thudding heart and clammy hands at all times. Ben and her no longer talked as much, resorting only to short, light conversation when they were back at the house. She noticed that when she looked at Ben, he seemed unwilling to maintain eye contact with her for very long, his eyes flickering quickly away. He also now stuttered sometimes when he spoke, as if he had become more self-conscious.

Ben had also begun teaching her the importance of meditation to strengthen her connection to the Force. They would sit across from one another in the snow, their eyes closed for long periods of time, and Ben would calmly guide her with centering her thoughts and emotions to access the full power of the Force.

During these silent meditation periods, Rey always felt unable to fully concentrate, unable to steer her thoughts away from their kiss, continually sneaking peeks across at Ben in the silence. Several times, she caught him doing the same.

….

It had been seven days since Rey had kissed him, yet it seemed that this was all that Ben could think about. He wasn't sure whether she'd done it out of sympathy, an attempt to comfort him, or if it had arisen from a different feeling. A feeling that he himself had begun to experience from the moment he'd laid eyes on her back on Takodana.

His thoughts were almost always centered Rey, building to the point of obsession.

Thinking about her brought him warmth, excitement, and yet trepidation all at once, realizing that he was falling down an irreversible path. He struggled to keep his composure around her, trying to remain as stoic as possible, to keep from betraying his burgeoning emotions.

Ben yearned to touch her again, to feel her warm cheek, her soft lips upon his. He tried his hardest to refocus his thoughts, to calm his mind, especially when trying to show Rey how to meditate. But during these sessions he could only fixate on the fact that Rey sat just a few yards from himself, so tantalizingly close.

But above all, Ben realized that because Rey was so strong in the Force, potentially just as strong as he, she needed to be able to effectively defend herself, for her Force sensitivity made her a target. Especially if— _perish the thought_ —Snoke ever managed to find her.

On the afternoon of this seventh day, Ben was coaching Rey with her footwork while she practiced her lightsaber combat. He moved around her slowly, striking at her from all different angles, testing her reflexes and agility. He admired her remarkably quick learning ability as well as her endurance, which was integral in combat; from his own experience, the first one to tire was the one defeated.

As he coached her, giving her suggestions for how to move her feet and shift her lightsaber so as to fight most efficiently, he sensed movement not far off from their clearing. He lowered his lightsaber and looked off into the line of trees, wondering which kind of creature he sense.

"What is it?" Rey asked. Ben sensed the presence grow swiftly closer, and he looked back at her.

"I'm not sure," he said, and Rey came up to his side. They remained in tense silence for a few long moments, surveying the line of trees ahead, snowflakes drifting down slowly all around them.

A low growl sounded not far from where they stood, followed by a shrill, piercing shriek. The calls resonated through Ben's body, and he noticed Rey move closer to him, her eyes scanning the treetops ahead. "Is that the creature you talked about?" She asked, concern in her voice.

"That would be it," Ben said, widening his stance.

"What is it?" Rey questioned, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"It's called a Nexu," Ben said, positioning his lightsaber before him. "Get behind me," he said, glancing over a Rey, but she stepped forward, frowning. Ben scowled at her. "Rey—"

But Ben cut himself as they heard another growl, closer this time, followed by the sound of snapping branches. Ben kept his eyes trained before him, confronted with the memory of when Snoke had forced him to face a Nexu on this planet as a trial during his training. He'd only been about seventeen years old then, and he remembered how terrified he'd been, especially when the beast's large claw had sliced a large gash across his collarbone. Though he felt more calm and prepared now to face the Nexu, he still felt a tremor of fear, especially for Rey's sake. He was determined to not let it touch her.

Suddenly, in the dark of the forest, Ben saw a large Nexu leap down from the trunk of a tree, now barreling towards them as it growled viciously.

Rey gasped and leapt directly to Ben's side, and with his free hand he instinctively moved a protective arm before her.

Just before the Nexu reached them, Ben swiped his crackling lightsaber before him threateningly, and the creature slid to a stop in the snow before them, just yards away. It lowered its head and released a horrible wail, the spikes on its back rising to their full height. Its red eyes focused on Ben's lightsaber, considering the challenge he posed.

Ben stepped forward and swung at it in a broad, powerful motion, and it moved backwards, hissing and pawing into the snow with its large claws. It shook its head wildly as it stalked to the right, still facing Ben.

The animal's hiss became higher in pitch, and it abruptly lurched towards Ben. He embraced his anxiety, moving forward to meet the Nexu halfway as he swiped aggressively at the beast with his saber, slicing across the side of its face as it quickly turned away from his attack.

The Nexu shook its head, pawing at its new injury, red droplets of blood falling into the white snow below. The spikes on the animal's back shivered in agitation, and it again lurched towards Ben, who with a wave of his arm sent it flying onto its back in the snow.

It immediately flipped back over onto its feet and charged again towards Ben, who sent it flying backwards farther this time, directly into the trunk of a tree. Ben felt empowered at his ability to face the beast, his childhood fear, and rolled his shoulders, relaxing his tense muscles.

The beast growled as it slowly stalked back towards him, a deep sound that again vibrated through Ben's very bones. Ben was surprised by its persistence, and he positioned himself, ready to strike again with his lightsaber, determined to finish the beast off.

With a high-pitched howl it rushed towards Ben, its spikes flattened against its back as it made itself more aerodynamic. Just as it was about to reach Ben, however, the creature suddenly its course, passing around him and charging directly at Rey behind him. Ben flipped around just as the creature leapt towards Rey, who grunted as she thrust her lightsaber out towards the animal, making contact with its shoulder as it landed just before her, releasing a deluge of dark red blood.

The nexu stumbled as it landed, buckling down onto its front knees as it whined in pain. Rey backed up from it briskly, staring at it as it remained in place in the snow, hissing and whining.

Ben was taken aback at her quick reflexes, staring at her just as he had when she'd been able to will the blue lightsaber into her grasp on Starkiller Base. She never ceased to amaze him.

He blinked, his eyes flickering between her and the downed Nexu. Ben narrowed his eyes in confusion as Rey remained just a yard before it, staring down at it.

"Finish it!" Ben yelled, looking across at her encouragingly. She looked at him, still panting, her expression conflicted. The creature attempted to stand, but faltered, kneeling down again from its injured shoulder.

"I can't," Rey called back, her voice troubled.

Ben walked cautiously towards the back of the creature. "But now's your chance, Rey," he said, raising his eyebrows in concern as he watched her.

"I can't do it," she repeated, backing away from it. She shook her head slowly. "Not when it's like this. It wouldn't be fair."

Ben stopped in place, tilting his head in confusion. _Does she actually feel sympathy towards the beast?_ He wondered. "Rey, the creature has no such feelings towards you," he said, moving around the beast in a wide arc towards her. The Nexu seemed to sense that it was no longer in direct danger and began to lick the gash on its shoulder.

Rey lowered her lightsaber to her side, disengaging it. She looked firmly across at Ben, the breeze blowing stray strands of her hair across her face. "I'm not killing it," she declared. "That's senseless violence."

Ben looked between her and the creature, debating whether he himself should kill it. He walked slowly towards Rey, confused but also intrigued by her mercy, something had never been a part of his training under Snoke. He stood before her, studying her face.

Rey looked at him expectantly as her eyes searched his. He sighed quietly, glancing back at the animal, who was now limping away into the line of trees, whining. "Okay," he said softly, slowly nodding. "We'll let it go."

A warm smile slowly spread across Rey's mouth, and Ben was momentarily frozen in place by her beauty. Rey's bright eyes locked onto his, and he released a small, shaky breath, filled with the overwhelming desire to lean down and kiss her.

He abruptly turned his face away, rubbing his arm distractedly. "That's enough for today," he said uncomfortably, glancing back at her. Her smile had left her face, and she raised her eyebrows, nodding.

"Okay, yeah," she agreed.

Ben began trekking back to the house, maintaining a pace just quick enough that Rey was not able to keep up at his side.

….

That night, Ben had difficulty falling asleep, staring up at the ceiling of the bedroom as he sensed Rey's calm, even presence in the bedroom across, deep in her sleep.

His thoughts shifted between Rey—her shining eyes, her strong body, her courage and sheer ability in facing the Nexu—his ill mother, and his Knights. He trusted that their allegiance was still to him, yet he still felt apprehension for the future.

Ben was relieved that he'd been able to come up with a convincing lie when Rey had asked him where he'd gone when he'd temporarily left the planet. But he also felt a strong sense of guilt, not just for having left her without telling her beforehand, but for lying to her face.

_A white lie,_ he assured himself. _It's for her own good, she's better off not knowing._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember the Nexu from one of the prequel films? I was brainstorming creatures from the Star Wars universe for this scene and thought it was fittingly ferocious. Speaking of which, it seems that another ferocious beast is inspired by Rey's pure heart...and her looks. But really, who isn't?


	26. Rapture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's in store for our Reylo pals? Thanks for reading and commenting, I love hearing your thoughts.

Luke regarded everyone standing around the planning table somberly. "As I have already informed some of you, and as the rest of you have probably come to realize, the First Order has expanded. We are still gaining intel, but this is most likely now a New Empire that we are confronted with."

"Do we have any word on Rey?" Finn piped up, his expression hopeful. Luke shot him a disapproving look, and he shrunk. "I—I'm sorry, Sir, I just _have_ to know."

Poe raised his head. "Yeah, Master Luke, surely we have _something?"_

Luke's heavy gaze shifted down at the table. "We have no such thing," he said, shaking his head slowly.

"We _do_ have word that the New Empire has a new Grand Admiral for their military," Admiral Ackbar interjected. "Although he is one all too familiar."

"Yes," Luke said, nodding. "I am aware." Seeing the despondent expressions on everyone's faces, he knew he needed to increase morale, to lift everyone's hopes. "But _our_ military forces are strong as well. We are prepared to face them." He looked to Poe and Finn, who both nodded at him.

"Who exactly is _leading_ this New Empire, then?" One of the generals asked.

Luke was about to speak as they all turned at the sound of approaching footsteps.

Several people gasped in surprise as none other than Leia walked into the room. People quickly parted from the way of her path as she slowly made her way up to the table. She looked around at everyone, her expression stable, determined.

"Snoke," she said, her voice dark. "It is _he_ who is controlling the Empire."

"Leia," Luke uttered, his voice filled with shock and wonder. "How are you out of the hospit—"

"Nevermind that," Leia said, waving Luke off. "I _cannot_ rest knowing that Snoke is in control. He plans to rule the entire galaxy." She glowered across at everyone around the table. "If we are to have any hope in stopping the Empire, we _must_ take him down."

….

Rey sat on the edge of her bed as she stretched her sore arms, sunlight streaming in from the small window near the ceiling of her bedroom. She sensed Ben nearby, and she got up slowly as she stretched, yawning.

As she entered the living area of the dwelling, she found him at the window on the wall to her left, surveying the outside.

"It snowed a lot last night," he observed, glancing across at her.

"Did it?" Rey asked. She made her way to his side.

As she looked outside at the fresh, untouched snow, she felt Ben's sidelong gaze on her face. She turned and looked up at him, their gaze locking for perhaps a moment too long.

Ben blinked and looked back outside. But Rey's eyes remained, travelling from his dark eyelashes to the coils of his hair. She felt lured to him.

Ben's eyes flickered back to hers, and she quickly averted her gaze, turning around to grab a piece of fruit from the kitchen area. She bit into it as she moved back to his side, leaning against the wall.

"I say we go outside and take a look," she said. Ben looked back to her and raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Okay," he said.

Rey followed him outside into the wintry white world. The sky was a clear blue, only a few grey clouds scattering across it. Even so, the air was frigid, turning their cheeks deep shades of pink.

Ben stood before her in the deep snow, surveying the environment. Rey trudged past him as she continued to eat her fruit. She kicked flurries of snow into the air casually with her boots.

She turned around, kicking some of the new snow in Ben's direction. He held his hands before him to block the snow from his face. "Hey!" He complained. His eyes narrowed as a sly smile tugged at his mouth. Rey watched him suspiciously.

With a twist of his hand Ben yanked the fruit from Rey's palm, using the Force to send it flying into his own.

"Get your own fruit for once, would you?" Rey teased. Ben took a bite of the fruit as he eyed her mischievously. "You're a scoundrel."

Rey leaned down and began gathering a generous handful of snow. She rose and positioned the snowball behind her head, preparing to launch it.

He raised his eyebrows, shaking his head. "Don't do it," he said, his tone cautionary.

Rey leaned back and then forward as she hurled the snowball at him, exaggerating the movement. It hit him squarely on the shoulder, and he looked down at the snow that now clung his dark cloak.

He raised his eyes back to Rey's, lowering his brows. "This is war," he said. He dropped the fruit into the snow and leaned down to gather snow.

Rey flipped around and began running away, laughing brightly as she heard his heavy footfalls crunching behind her. She suddenly felt the strong impact of his snowball at the center of her back, disrupting her balance. She steadied herself and turned, stopping to narrow her eyes back at him. She quickly formed another snowball, and he did the same.

They both rose and launched snow at each other at almost the same time. Rey's missed and travelled just past Ben's face, while his hit her stomach.

Rey stumbled back at the impact, and widened her eyes as she saw his collection of already-made snowballs in his arms. She yelped and sprinted away, continuing past the line of buildings.

She giggled as one of Ben's snowballs hit her in the back.

"Do you surrender?" Ben called, still chasing after her.

"Never!" She yelled. She saw Ben's command shuttle ahead, covered with a thick layer of white snow. She decided to hide inside it for cover.

As she neared it, she sensed Ben slowing his pace behind her. "Rey...Rey, don't go in...that's not fair," he called after her. His voice seemed stiff.

As Rey slowly stopped just in front of the ship, panting, she turned and saw Ben standing a few yards from her in the snow. He looked uneasy. Rey studied him curiously, unsure of his hesitation.

"C'mon, let's go back," he said, motioning his arm.

She squinted across at him, perplexed. "Are you hiding something?" She asked, tilting her head.

"What—no, I'm not hiding anything," he said, his brows raising in concern.

Rey frowned at him. She turned and made her way to the ship's side door, using the Force to open it.

Ben took a step forward through the snow. "Rey—"

But Rey stepped up into the ship's central chamber, searching her surroundings. A shiny glint in the far corner of the room caught her eye, and she began to move towards it. Rey swallowed as she moved towards the silver and black object slowly, and stopped as realization began to flood over her. She stepped forward and slowly lifted the metal helmet from the chair, the blood drained from her face, her heart thudding heavily in her chest. She felt sickened. _Betrayed._

She stalked back through the ship, helmet in hand, and leapt back down into the snow. She glared across at Ben, who still remained a few yards before the ship. He appeared distressed as he looked from her face to the helmet.

"Rey—"

 _"You,"_ she seethed, her voice shaking. "You said you were no longer with the First Order."

He shook his head, taking a step towards her. "I'm _not."_

 _"Really?"_ She exclaimed, holding the helmet up as if it wasn't obvious enough to him. "That's what you're going to tell me? _This_ wasn't in there before." Ben tensed, shifting on his feet as he stared at her anxiously. Rey squinted at him as she reached an epiphany. "You didn't leave to get _fuel_ that night, did you?" She questioned, taking another step towards him. "You left to meet with _them,_ to go and get _this!"_ She shook the helmet before her. Tears welled in her eyes as her body trembled with anger, despair. She took in a shaky breath. "You _lied_ to me," she breathed.

He looked at her forlornly. "Rey, I'm sorry...yes, I lied. But I _had_ to, you wouldn't have understood."

Rey scowled as she dropped the helmet into the snow, staring down at it in hatred as she lifted her hand to the belt at her side.

 _"Rey,"_ Ben warned.

She lifted her eyes to his, a hot tear sliding down her cheek. She abruptly pulled her lightsaber out from under her cloak, igniting it before her. She began stalking towards Ben, gripping her saber tightly. He watched her warily as she approached, but he didn't bring out his own lightsaber.

Rey lept forward, grunting as she swung at Ben, but he moved backwards, swiping her lightsaber away from him with a swipe of his hand, by using the Force.

Rey repeated her attack, only to the same outcome. "Rey, don't _do_ this," he pleaded, backing away from her. But Rey only pressed forward, swinging her lightsaber aggressively. She jabbed at him, and he didn't block her attack, her lightsaber nicking his upper arm, opening a small wound through the thick cloth wrapping his arm. Ben hissed in pain as he gripped at the injury, stepping back from her.

Rey stopped in her tracks and blinked in surprise at what she'd just done. But a new wave of pain flooded through her, and she leaned forward challengingly as she stared Ben down. Ben's eyes moved slowly to hers as he returned her serious gaze, his eyes growing darker. He slid his gloved hand from his bloody cut, pulling out his own lightsaber. "Is this what you want, Rey?" He bellowed.

Rey moved forward and swung at him, and he ignited his lightsaber as they clashed together. Rey continued her attacks, pressing him backwards into the line of trees behind them. After blocking several more of her attacks, Ben turned and jogged a few paces away from her, creating some distance. "Rey, this isn't right," he huffed, gripping his lightsaber tightly.

"You _betrayed_ me," she yelled, frustratedly wiping the tears from her flushed cheek. Choking out a breath, she charged at him, swinging strongly as he parried her attack. She swung continually at him, her chest tightening. Rey grew angered as he did not pull any attacks of his own, resorting only to blocking hers. She wanted him to fight back. She attempted to reach around and strike his other arm, but he leaned quickly away.

"Rey, _stop,"_ he urged, attempted to force her backwards by bracing his lightsaber against hers. She struggled against his heavy strength, and she closed her eyes momentarily, attempted to shove her feelings of hurt and betrayal into his mind.

Ben staggered back suddenly, his face afflicted as he stared at her. Rey charged him again, and this time Ben swung his lightsaber quickly overhead before bringing it down against her saber. He began his own offensive hits at her, forcing her to to block his heavy swings.

Losing energy, Rey swung her lightsaber wildly at Ben, who seemed able to parry her every move with ease. Their pace quickened, and Rey focused on her footwork as he'd taught he before, trying to keep up with him. Ben focused fervently into her eyes between hits.

Gasping for air, Rey's movements began to grow unstable, desperate. She growled as she attempted an aggressive swing at his torso, but his saber was quick to block her movement, and he jumped back from her. Just feet apart, the two circled each other closely, their lightsabers perched at their sides, ready for the other's next move.

Rey lunged at Ben, aiming her lightsaber at his arm. But instead of blocking her attack this time, again he did not save himself from injury, allowing her saber to make contact just below his bleeding cut on his upper arm.

He leaned back and winced, and Rey froze. They were both taken aback as they stared at each other, and Rey read pain in Ben's eyes, triggering a flash of regret in Rey.

This time it was Ben who moved offensively. With one quick sweep, his saber crashed against hers, nearly knocking it from her firm grasp. She stumbled back, righting herself just as he came at her with another quick swing, then another, making a succession of aggressive hits at her. He was overpowering her, and she knew it.

"Do you still hate me?" He asked between hits, and Rey looked at him confusedly.

She tried to collect herself as she made an unsuccessful swipe at him, then another. Rey attempted focus her movements but ended up slashing her lightsaber wildly at him.

Her lightsaber slammed and locked against his, brilliant red and blue sparks intermixing as they flew off of the weapons between them. Ben's dark eyes bore straight into hers, but she did not read animosity in them. His face was concentrated, his eyebrows lifting ever so slightly.

Rey felt Ben pressing at the forefront of her mind, and an inexplicable fervor built within her.

Ben released one of his hands from his lightsaber and latched onto her right wrist, attempting to pry her grip off from her own saber. She grimaced as she struggled to maintain her hold on the saber, but her left hand slipped from it. Slowly, Ben pulled her right hand holding the saber up above her head, his softening gaze locked on hers.

A look of confusion swept Rey's face as she noticed he was lowering his own lightsaber, the very air around them teeming with magnetism, with the Force. Ben let his drop to the ground below with a thud, his gaze following it for a moment. Still firmly holding her right wrist with the saber, his dark eyes moved back up to hers, rousing, and Rey took in a quick breath. All at once Ben's right hand moved quickly up to her face as he pushed his lips against hers.

Rey was frozen in shock, but a glowing warmth flooded through her body, her mind going blank as she closed her eyes. Ben moved his lips slowly against hers, and she began to relax her tense body. She instinctively moved her left hand to the crook of his right elbow, resting it there. His hand still held her raised wrist, but he softened his grip as she slowly lowered her arm and lightsaber.

Ben gently broke from the kiss, his hands sliding from her wrist and face, and Rey blearily opened her eyes. She disengaged her lightsaber at her side. Her mouth remained open in shock, the feeling of his lips still lingering on hers. No coherent thoughts were able to formulate in her mind.

Ben's eyes opened halfway as he gazed down at her. Rey's body pulsed, her heart thudding heavily in her chest. Ben closed his eyes as he leaned down and kissed her again, more fervently this time. Rey moved her lips with his, sliding her hand up his arm, gripping it.

He pressed his lips further into hers, and she reciprocated the pressure. His hand slid to the back of her head, pulling her face more closely into his, his other hand running down the side of her waist, the sound of his breath resonating in her ears.

Ben shifted his face as he kissed her from the opposite angle, sliding his hand around to the small of her back, pulling her body closer to his.

Rey's body pulsed with warmth, vigor as she eagerly received his advances, instinctually molding her body to his.

Rey abruptly broke from the kiss to catch her breath. She took in a shaky breath as she bowed her head, leaning her forehead into Ben's dark shirt. Her body was still held close to his with his hand around her back. Rey tilted her head back up.

They both breathed in unison as they searched each other's eyes. Rey's mouth quivered, and Ben slid his gloved hand against her slick cheek, brushing away her tears. "Ben…" she breathed, unsure of what to say.

Ben seemed as if he were about to speak, but his brows furrowed, his gaze shifting. He abruptly turned his face away, sliding away from her. He took a few steps away as he stared into the distance. His body tensed, seemingly froze in place.

Rey blinked and wiped her eyes, looking at him confusedly. "What? What is it?" She asked. She took a step towards him, confused. "Is it a Nexu?"

Ben's eyes still remained focused away from her, his gaze now turned towards the sky. Rey frowned in concern as she watched his hands ball into fists, his arms lifting at his sides. His breathing seemed to quicken.

Rey reached out and placed a hand on his wrist, and he abruptly turned and looked down at her, alarm in his eyes.

He shook his head, pressing a hand to his forehead as he shut his eyes. "No, _no,"_ he breathed, seemingly to himself.

"Ben," Rey urged, concern in her voice. "What is it?"

He opened his eyes and looked back up towards the sky through the trees. "They found me," he said, his voice flat. "How…" His face flipped down to Rey's, his expression distant. "We need to get you out of here," he said. _"Now._ Hurry." Ben grasped her wrist and tugged her along behind him as he led them swiftly through the trees.

"Where are we going?" She asked, startled. She struggled to keep up with him through the thick snow. She yanked her wrist from his grasp and she slowed to a stop. Ben flipped around and looked at her anxiously.

"Rey, _please,_ there's no time, we have to hurry," he urged. He held out his hand to her. She reluctantly took it, and he continued pulling her along, out through the line of trees, past the encampment. She realized he was heading them towards the command shuttle.

"We're leaving?" She asked, and again he did not answer. As they reached the command shuttle, Ben unhatched the door and waited for her to step up inside. As she did so, he remained in the snow below, and she stared at him expectantly. "Come _on,"_ Rey said, holding out her hand to him.

"No, Rey," he said firmly. "You're going to fly this out of this place as fast as possible. Go straight to the Azalea system, find it on the coordinate map. You know how to fly, don't you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Rey stared at him. "What? I—I'm not leaving without you," she said shaking her head in disbelief. Panic began rising within her.

Ben furrowed his brows. "Rey, there's no time, you have to go _now,"_ he pressed.

Rey remained where she stood. "Why can't you come with me?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"It's me they want. I have to distract them here, so you have time to gain distance from the planet."

Rey shook her head. _"No._ Ben, I'm not leaving without you. I can't just leave you here." She moved to step down from the ship, but he held out his palm, pushing her backwards with the Force.

"Yes you are. Go!" He exclaimed, and pushed her back again, Force-shutting the door before her. Rey leapt towards the door, trying to open it with the Force, but it remained shut. She stared at it, dread rising in her throat. _If it's the First Order, they'll kill him,_ she thought.

Rey banged against the door, but it didn't budge. She then ran to the front of the ship, watching out of the pilot's window as she saw Ben holding his palms out towards the ship, his face concentrated. _Go now, hurry,_ she heard his thoughts in her mind.

Ben turned and moved away. As he did so, Rey was startled as she could no longer sense his presence, the aura of emotions he gave off. _Has he cut off our bond?_

Rey shook as she leaned over the pilot's controls, her trembling hand hovering over the engine lever. She looked out at Ben, who continually glanced back at her, clearly waiting for her to start up the ship. _I can't leave him...I can't..._ she thought.

She let out a pained groan as she yanked the engine lever, starting up the ship. She would let the engines heat up for a few minutes, giving her the chance to think over her decision, her plan.


	27. Relinquishing the Light

As Ben stalked through the snow, he sensed Snoke getting ever closer to Drecenia. His heart racing in his chest, he realized he had no plan to defend himself, forced to wait helplessly for Snoke's arrival.

He heard the thrusters on the command shuttle hiss behind him, and he flipped around to watch as the ship rose slowly from the frozen ground, lifting with it a swirling cloud of snow.

_Come on, Rey,_ he urged. The ship ascended higher, its wings extending to their full height. It gradually gained speed as it climbed up into the sky, heading towards the atmosphere.

Ben shut his eyes, tightening his fists. _Rey will be pass by Snoke unnoticed. The Force is on her side,_ he assured himself. His body tensed as he attempted to send Rey his own strength through the barrier of the Force field he'd put around the ship.

As he opened his eyes, the command shuttle was no longer in sight. _May the Force be with you._

Ben lumbered through the snow, weak from having released so much of his own energy to Rey. He stopped in front of the circle of buildings, dropping down in the cold snow to rest. His hand on the hilt of his lightsaber, he glowered up at the sky and waited.

It wasn't long until Ben sensed movement in the atmosphere of the planet. He staggered up, watching the clouds above as a mass of TIE fighters came into view.

Ben ignited his saber and trudged slowly into the open area of snow between the encampment and the woods. The TIEs screeched excruciatingly louder as they neared, and one after the other they circled above him, like bats let out of a cave. Ben shielded his eyes from the sun as he watched them. He knew they wouldn't attack him. He knew they were leaving him for Snoke.

The TIEs stopped and hovered above him, leaving a path in the sky through which a large shuttle began to descend. Kylo straightened himself, ready to face his former master.

The shuttle descended, well over twice the size of his own. As soon as it hit the ground, a platform drooped from the front of the ship and several large squadrons of snow and stormtroopers hustled down into the snow, forming a line before him. Their blasters were all trained on his face.

Ben furrowed his brows as he shot the troopers a black look. He held his crackling red saber tightly in his right hand, casting a red glow in the sparkling snow around him. His eyes focused on the ship's dropped platform as two snowtrooper sergeants marched down it, followed by Captain Phasma.

Phasma walked past the other two troopers and stopped just yards from Ben, who watched her solemnly.

"Kylo Ren, extinguish your weapon," she commanded. Ben glared at her, unmoving. Phasma took another heavy step towards him. "Don't make this more difficult than it has to be," she said in a low voice, just to him.

Phasma then backed away, watching him through her chrome helmet as General Hux descended the platform. He moved jauntily through the snow towards Ben, stopping just past the edge of armed stormtroopers.

Ben moved both hands to grip his lightsaber as he glared across as Hux, disgust welling in his tight chest.

"The _traitor,"_ Hux spat, his mouth curling into a smile. "The Supreme Leader is _thoroughly_ disappointed in you, Ren. You have been found wanting." Hux's mocking glare remained on Ben as he then stepped to the side.

Finally, Snoke slowly descended from the ship, striding easily through the snow towards Ben. Ben took a few cautious steps backwards as he approached. Snoke stopped a few yards from him, craning his neck upwards as he looked down upon his former student disdainfully.

"Kylo Ren," he said snarled, eyeing Ben's face. "I read fear in your eyes."

Ben clenched his hands defensively around his lightsaber.

"You've known this day was coming," Snoke said, his voice booming. "Did you really think you could hide from us forever?" Snoke's face grew darker, his head craning forward. "Did you really think you could escape the power of the dark?" He tilted his head. "You _are_ the dark. Yet...something _still_ holds you back. And I daresay...it's not just your _mother."_

Ben tossed his head agitatedly, gritting his teeth.

General Hux stepped forward, glancing nervously up at Snoke. "It's the Scavenger, the rubbish girl from Jakku, isn't it?" He exclaimed eagerly. Snoke shot him a deathly look, and Hux shut his mouth. Ben's glare fixated on Hux, his eyes narrowing silently.

"Where _is_ she?" Snoke growled, his fist clenching before him. He took a step towards Ben, and with one swipe of his hand, he Force-pushed Ben's saber from his tight grasp.

Ben's eyes followed as it landed in the snow many yards away. _Phasma's right,_ Ben thought morosely. _What need have I to fight any longer?_ His former nihilism consumed his mind.

He returned his gaze back to Snoke, shaking his head. "There is no girl here," he said, straightening his posture defiantly. "Go ahead and look."

"She _was_ here, I sensed her," Snoke hissed. _"Where—is—she?"_ He repeated, taking another challenging step towards Ben. But Ben remained in place, his fists lifting at his sides as his body began to shake with fury.

"Do you refuse to answer your _master?"_ Snoke bellowed, raising his fist as if to strike.

Ben shook his head solemnly. "I need no master."

Snoke's head craned back as he appeared surprised. His face then grew dark as his eyes narrowed to slits. "You have grown too _audacious_ in your freedom, Kylo Ren. I see you need to be corrected," he hissed. He slowly turned to look at the stormtroopers behind him.

"Fire," he commanded, and just as the troopers were about to engage their weapons Phasma stepped forward, holding an arm out, signaling them all to stop.

_"Sir,"_ she protested.

Snoke glared down at her, turning his body to fully face her. "Do _you,_ Captain, challenge _my_ order?" He bellowed.

Phasma's helmet swivelled as she appeared to look between Ben and Snoke. Her shoulders seemed to drop, and she shook her head, taking a few steps backwards. "No, Supreme Leader."

Snoke glared at her a moment longer before turning to face Ben once more. "Fire at this _traitor,"_ he hissed, and all at once the fifty stormtroopers began shooting at Ben, who widened his stance as he swiftly swiped the oncoming blasters away with the use of the Force.

But there were too many shots coming at once for him to be able to deflect them all, and blast by blast they began making contact, hitting him in his side, his arms, his legs, his body twisting and contorting with each painful new wound. He tapped into his own anger to access the Force, to keep himself focused.

One blast shot directly into his already-open wound on his upper arm from Rey's lightsaber, and he yelped. As he did so, several shots hit him in the side at once, and he crumpled forward into the snow, gripping at the last site of impact.

"Enough!" Phasma yelled desperately, and the shots ceased.

Ben remained prone in the snow, blinking against the pool of his own blood.

_"General,_ take this _Captain_ back into the ship. It seems we have another in need of _correction,"_ Ben heard Snoke growl. But his voice sounded distant, blurred as Ben wavered on the edge of consciousness. He balled his hands into fists on either side of him in the snow, setting his jaw as he reached into his well of rage.

He cringed as he felt Snoke break into his mind, accessing all of his deepest thoughts. He groaned at the pain of his blaster wounds, of Snoke's unmerciful probing. _No,_ he thought in alarm. He didn't want Snoke reading all of his memories, his feelings.

_"Yes,"_ Snoke countered aloud. Ben heard his feet slowly crunch through the snow towards him. "Just as I suspected. And as I have seen before. You have great compassion for the girl."

_"Compassion?_ For the _Scavenger?"_ Ben heard Hux sneer. "Do you lust for her, Ren?"

Ben hissed and raised his head from the snow, looking past Snoke to glare across at Hux, who watched him with an air of entertainment.

_"Restrain him,"_ Snoke commanded, and the two sergeant snowtroopers jogged to Ben, yanking him up by the elbows as he struggled against them, grunting. They held Ben in place on his knees between them, his arms held above his head. Ben winced again as Snoke continued sifting through his thoughts. He glared up at Snoke, who stalked slowly towards him.

"I see the girl has left on your own ship," Snoke said, and turned to look back at Hux. "General, send half of the TIE fighters to shoot down the escaped girl. She shouldn't be far from here."

"Yes, sir," Hux said, flipping around on his heels towards the ship.

"No!" Ben exclaimed, attempting to shake out of the snowtroopers' grasp, but he was too weak. Snoke turned and moved his palm towards Ben, hovering it inches from his forehead. Ben grunted as Snoke pulsed an electrifying pain through Ben's body, causing him to shake. Ben groaned through his teeth against the searing pain, his blaster wounds singed as if on fire.

Suddenly, Snoke removed his hand and Force assault from Ben as he turned towards the sky. Ben's bleary eyes rose along with Snoke's as he heard the distant but building hum of an ion engine. _That's no TIE,_ Ben thought dejectedly.

His heart dropped in his chest as his own command shuttle broke through the thin clouds in the sky. Ben attempted to get to his feat, but his wounded legs faltered, and the snowtroopers tightened their deadlock on his upper arms, pushing into his wounds, but Ben was now numb to the pain as his eyes remained locked on the approaching shuttle. _Rey, no, turn back, don't do this,_ he urged, but he knew she couldn't hear him through the Force field on her ship.

From a far distance, Rey began shooting at the hovering TIE fighters with impressive accuracy. Several TIEs came crashing to the ground around Snoke's landed shuttle, igniting some of the surrounding trees on fire.

Snoke staggered forward through the snow, paying no attention to the TIEs falling from the sky. His gaze remained focused up on the command shuttle.

Rey soared overhead, the remaining two-thirds of the fighters following swiftly after her, shooting at the ship. But Ben's command shuttle wouldn't go down easily, he knew, not even with fifteen TIEs blasting at it; he had made sure it was designed for maximum durability. As he watched the ship soar overhead, Ben couldn't help but admire Rey's remarkable piloting skills, as well as her sheer bravery, his mouth dropping open in astonishment.

As the shuttle continued to take the hits of the TIEs, Rey turned the ship in an arc and steered back towards the clearing, flying the ship lower as she aimed the ship's Kyber cannons at the figures below. She shot in quick succession at the wall of stormtroopers, who began to scatter, taking several of them.

Snoke raised his fist in anger at the shuttle as it flew back overhead. _"Enough with this!"_ He snarled, and he threw his palm out towards the ship, shifting it off course and sending it speeding downwards.

Ben blinked in horror as the command shuttle tumbled down and thudded into snow below, a white wave of ice and snow lifting as it skid across the ground, one of its wings crumpling at the impact. A fuel fuse burst and large, brilliant orange flames erupted from the shuttle, licking the sky as the wreckage slid to a stop, the snow settling around it.

Snoke held a palm towards been, further restraining him with the Force, and Ben's body shook violently as he attempted to break from the hold. _"Rey!"_ He wailed despairingly.

Snoke's head flipped around as he shot Ben a dark glare, narrowing his small eyes. "You shall _see_ the dark side once again," he hissed. Snoke pointed towards the ship, nodding towards the group of stormtroopers who had once again formed a line. "Bring me the body, so we can _show_ Kylo Ren the fate of a traitor."

Ben watched despondently as a group of stormtroopers obediently jogged towards the flaming wreckage. Ben felt numb, just as he had on Starkiller base when Chewbacca had shot him with the crossbow, so consumed with the pain of his father's death. This dread like even more of a blow to him. Ben hung his head against his chest, his eyes moistening with tears.

"Kylo Ren, you must _face_ your fate," Snoke declared, looking at Ben expectantly. Ben slowly raised his head as he saw two stormtroopers dragging Rey's limp body through the snow from the crashed shuttle, leaving a trail of her blood behind.

"Rey," Ben breathed shakily, unable to grasp what had just happened. His body trembled, his chest tightening. Snoke released his Force grip from Ben's body as he watched the stormtroopers bring Rey closer.

Suddenly, Ben was able to sense Rey. All of her. Her presence, her aura. He blinked in confusion, staring at her lifeless body.

He realized that the troopers had just drug her past the threshold of the Force field surrounding the command shuttle, so he assumed that was why he could now sense her. _But how can I sense her if she's dead?_ He wondered, his heart racing. He craned his neck as realization flooded him. _She's still alive._

He sucked in a quick breath as he sensed Snoke realize the same thing, who released a disappointed groan.

Ben clenched his shaking fists as he eagerly tried to reach into Rey's mind. _Rey, I'm here, I'm right here,_ he thought, attempting to comfort her. He wasn't sure how much pain she felt; her mind seemed hazy. _Rey._

His eyes widened in amazement as he watched Rey's arm jolt, her eyelids twitching as they slowly blinked open.

"Halt," Snoke commanded, and the stormtroopers dragging Rey stopped in place, looking at each other anxiously. Snoke began to move towards Rey.

"Supreme Leader," Ben called out urgently. _Don't kill her, we can use her,_ he insisted earnestly to Snoke telepathically. _I've been training her, you know it's true. You've just seen it in my mind._

Snoke stopped before Rey and turned to eye Ben, who pulled up into the Snowtroopers' grasp, using it to lift himself up. He wavered on his feet, then balanced himself as he looked across intently at Snoke. _You've seen it. She has great potential._

_The Rule of Two,_ Snoke returned, narrowing his eyes.

Ben shook his head quickly. _She has been_ my _student, and will remain that way._

"And why should I allow that?" Snoke asked aloud incredulously, to the obvious confusion of the stormtroopers around them. "You, the _traitor_ to the Empire."

"The Empire?" Ben asked, puzzled. "I didn't know—"

Snoke waved him off. "That is not what we are discussing," he hissed.

_You need me to do your bidding, I know this is true,_ Ben continued. _I will return with sworn loyalty to the dark,_ he pressed, lowering his brows. His gaze flickered from Rey to Snoke anxiously. _And so will she. I will see to it._

_You seem so sure. I sense the light is strong in her._

_There is darkness within her. Search her mind, you will find it, as I have,_ Ben urged. He was averse to Snoke breaking into her mind, but he knew it was the only way he could convince him to find value in keeping her alive. His chest tightened as he watched Snoke probe her mind, Rey's features contorting as she remained barely conscious.

Snoke then broke from Rey's mind, turning his face as he considered Ben. He knew Snoke found what he was looking for.

Ben briefly managed to read in Snoke's mind that he knew that as long as Rey was kept alive within the clutches of the Empire, Ben would follow the Supreme Leader's commands out of the fear of any harm being done to her.

_I will remain loyal to the Empire,_ Ben asserted.

Snoke let out a grumbling sigh, glaring down at Ben. _Prove it._

Ben shook from the snowtroopers' grasp, and Snoke nodded at them to release him. Ben limped forward towards Snoke, angered for his former master to see him so weak, so _incapable._

He glanced over at Rey, who was still held upright by her arms by the two stormtroopers. His brows raised as she blinked open her eyes, focusing on him as he passed. Ben shifted his gaze, unable to bring himself to look at her further, now that he was willingly submitting her to the enemy.

He stopped just before Snoke, dropping down onto a shaking, wounded knee as he looked up at Snoke's tall figure. "I swear my loyalty to you, Supreme Leader. I submit myself humbly as your subordinate," he declared, his throat tightening in disgust as he spoke the words. He sensed Rey's shock as she watched him.

Snoke nodded once in seeming approval, and waved at the two stormtroopers restraining Rey. "Bring her onboard, lock her up," he declared, and the troopers continued dragging her back to the ship.

Ben's heart wrenched as he watched Rey's head turn around to look back at him, panicked. "Ben?!" She called. "Ben!"

Ben shifted his gaze from her, unable to bring himself to look at her, to answer her pleading calls. He felt Snoke's gaze upon him as he stared down at the snow below, at his own blood, his embodied shame dripping down into the cold whiteness.

He did not bother to lift his gaze again as Snoke spoke, moving away from Ben. "All on board, at once. Prepare the ship for takeoff. The _traitor_ may board last."

The only thing Ben knew was that he was always a traitor, either to the Empire, or to Rey. But he knew that this was the only way he could keep Rey alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, no, leave it to Supreme Leader Snoke to mess everything up. Same with Hux, he's a pretty nasty guy. Phasma, however, seems different. What do you make of her? And what's going to become of our beloved Reylo? Thanks for reading, Padawans!


	28. Skywalker and Kenobi

Ben winced as another shock wracked his body. His arms and legs still quivered even as the electricity left him, every one of his nerve endings feeling as if they were on fire.

He could not move much with the restraints on his arms and legs and the steel brace holding his head in place in the small metal room on board the Finalizer.

Ben glowered across at Hux as he came into view, who circled the chair nonchalantly, the chair's controller held out in his palm. Ben didn't need to read Hux's mind to know just how much Hux was enjoying this; it was written all over his stupid face.

"The Supreme Leader said that you think of yourself as your _birth_ name now," Hux mocked, his lip curling up in a sneer. He tossed the controller in his palm casually before Ben. "We need to remind you, _Ben,_ of your _real_ name." He chuckled darkly.

Hux turned the chair back on, and powerful waves of electricity again fired throughout Ben's body. He gritted his teeth and groaned against the pain, furious that Hux had the pleasure to witness him in this state. The power of the electric current increased and Ben's convulsing body caused the entire chair to rattle, a metallic clanking sounding in room.

"You've always been _weak,_ Ren," Hux ridiculed, watching him with a self-satisfied expression. "Arrogant, imperious, and weak. Especially for that _scavenger."_

It took all of Ben's willpower to fight against his own overwhelming desire to crush Hux through the Force; if he did so, Snoke would see it as an act of defiance, and would potentially harm or even kill Rey as punishment. Ben knew that he had to succumb to the torture.

Hux turned a dial on the controller and the electricity grew even more intense. Ben grunted as his head felt as if it were about to explode.

_Ben._

Ben opened his eyes wide as he heard her. His mind raced as he strove to respond, but he could only focus on the awareness of the fire coursing through his nerves.

_Ben! What's happening to you?_

The currents of electricity subsided as Hux turned the dial down, and Ben gasped for air as sweat dripped from his face, blood leaking from his ears. He took in quick, deep breaths as he attempted to lower his frenzied heartbeat, to steady his pounding mind.

_Rey, you're alive,_ was all he could manage.

"I see you haven't broken yet, Ren," Hux hissed, disappointment crossing his features. "You're still breathing."

Ben hissed through the metal bars over his mouth as he glared at Hux with crazed ferocity. _"Try_ me," he seethed, though he regretted having spoken as the chair came to life again.

Searing fire singed through Ben, his head pressing back against the back of the chair in anguish as he gritted his teeth against the pain. He shut his eyes against the familiar moisture that had begun to form at their corners.

_Ben! I'll try sending you strength,_ Rey pressed, but Ben was barely able to hear her through the stinging currents pulsing through his mind and body.

He realized that his hands were beginning to shake less, the pain seeming to subside a bit. He still felt the painful currents from the chair pulsing through him, but Rey's efforts were making the pain slightly more bearable. This allowed him to choke in more air, to attempt to formulate some coherent thought.

_Rey, keep your strength,_ he urged fervently. _What have they done—are you okay?_

_I'm fine. But you're not, you need it._

_No, Rey—_ But he cut off his train of thought as he sensed another, stronger presence come between them. He hissed, recognizing the presence.

_Kylo Ren,_ Snoke pressed into Ben's mind, _the girl has a hold on your mind. You have reminded me that we must break you both._

_"No!"_ Ben growled, opening his eyes. Hux raised an eyebrow and then a cruel smile formed on his face, clearly thinking the pain from the chair was what had caused him to burst out.

"Too much, is it, Ren? I told you, you are _weak,"_ Hux mocked as he cranked the chair's power to its highest level.

Ben's vision turned white as the searing pain filled his body, his back arching away from the chair as the powerful currents took away all of his muscle control, and along with it, his consciousness.

….

Rey sat alone in the isolating dimness of her cell, no stormtroopers in sight through the bars of the metal door for her to use a mind trick on.

She hugged her knees to her chest, attempting to warm herself in the cold metal cell. Her stomach growled in hunger and her throat felt dry from thirst; she'd been left in the cell for over a day and a half, and she hadn't been given any sustenance.

Rey kept trying to reach Ben through the Force, but his mind was strangely blank, inaccessible. She'd finally been able to reach him a few hours beforehand as she'd sensed the pain he was going through, but now it felt as if a wall had come between their minds. His mental absence only heightened her loneliness.

She had grown so accustomed to feeling his presence that when she wasn't able to sense it, it made her feel uneasy, as if a part of her very being was missing.

Her eyes flickered across the small, dark chamber as she heard heavy footsteps approaching. She got to her feet just as the metal door swung open.

Five stormtroopers piled in through the doorway, their blasters trained on her. "Girl, come with us," one of them commanded. He and another stormtrooper stepped forward and grabbed at her arms. She struggled against their grasp, but she realized that even if she was able to use a mind trick on one, there were still four others to contend with.

They began yanking her out of the cell as she continued to pull against their grasp. "Where are we going?" She asked nervously, her voice shaking.

"The Supreme Leader has requested you," the same stormtrooper answered.

"The Supreme Leader," Rey repeated in shock. A memory flashed in her mind of Ben faltering to his knees in the snow before Snoke's immense figure, numerous bloody wounds marking Ben's body. _What is being done to him now?_ She wondered shrinkingly, recalling again the immense pain she'd sensed in him earlier.

Rey pulled back strongly against the grip of the two stormtroopers at her sides, but the three troopers behind her pushed her forward with the ends of their blasters.

"Keep it moving," one of them warned. "Rebel scum," he added under his breath.

Rey began to tremble as they led her through the long and narrow corridors of the large ship. It seemed to be the same one that Kylo had brought her to before, when he'd interrogated her after capturing her from Takodana.

They passed various other stormtroopers and generals in the halls, who either shot Rey nasty looks or ignored her completely.

The troopers eventually steered Rey down a long, empty corridor with a large steel door at the end. She assumed that they were nearing Snoke.

The stormtroopers had to shove her towards the door as she attempted to press back against them, unwilling to face this Supreme Leader. One of the stormtroopers pressed a button near the door, and as it lifted, all of them at once shoved her through the doorway as the door swiftly closed behind her.

Rey banged on the metal door hopelessly, her hands beginning to shake in apprehension. She slowly turned and peered down the dark hall stretching before her, seeing faint light at the end of it.

She reluctantly made her way down the corridor, arriving into an impossibly immense chamber. Her jaw dropped as she spun around, marvelling at the place.

She faced the front end of it, seeing a giant throne-like structure. _Who would use such a giant thing?_ She wondered.

Rey leapt backwards in alarm as a large light began flickering before her upon the throne. She shrunk down as she watched a hulking figure forming before her. A chill ran down her spine as she recognized the grossly enlarged image of Snoke himself.

Snoke's massive form slowly leaned over towards her, and she stumbled back, blinking, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"You're the _scavenger_ that has caused us so much trouble," he boomed, eyeing her closely. "But you won't be for much longer."

Rey tensed, scowling up at the figure defiantly.

"I was correct in my presumption that Kylo Ren would bring you back to me," he declared, leaning back against his throne.

Rey hesitated to speak, still trembling. "What—what are you talking about?" She stammered.

"Your bond, it has grown stronger," Snoke said slowly, raising his head. "But it is time that I sever it."

Rey's brows knit in concerned puzzlement. "Sever it? How—what does that mean?"

A flash of annoyance crossed Snoke's features, and for some reason Rey was reminded of the annoyed looks that sometimes marked Ben's face. _Had he gotten these traits from Snoke?_

"I shall remove the bond that binds you. No longer will you read each other's thoughts."

Rey's heart dropped in her chest as she tried to wrap her mind around what Snoke was saying. She couldn't bear the thought of never feeling Ben's familiar presence of mind around her again, no matter how much of a temper he often got.

_"No,"_ Rey said forcefully, shaking her head and stepping forward. "You can't do that."

Snoke seemed to be taken aback. "Can't do it? Why, I'm the one who forged the bond between you in the first place."

Rey froze. "It was... _you?"_

Snoke raised a hand. "Don't you remember? Or did Kylo Ren wipe your memory of it?" His last question seemed to be more of a statement.

Rey shook her head slowly in confusion. "Why would he—no, he wouldn't do that," she concluded.

Snoke leaned forward again, his lip curling. "He _did,_ when you were both young. When you were training under Luke Skywalker, under his proclaimed _Jedi Order,"_ he bellowed, his voice echoing throughout the chamber. "I have read Ren's mind many times, I have _seen it."_

Rey's face contorted as she struggled to understand. _Then why hasn't Luke told me any of this?_ She wondered. She suddenly felt an immense, overwhelming power over her as Snoke began breaking into her mind. She cringed at the sudden pain of it, trying to keep him out with all of her might with the Force.

He pulled out her mind, leaning back against his throne, a thoughtful expression on his face. "The bond seems to have made you _both_ much stronger in the Force," he observed, rubbing his deformed jaw.

Rey scowled up at Snoke, disgusted. "If it was _you_ who forged the bond, why? Why did you do it?"

A smugness spread across Snoke's face as he stared down at her. "Why have only a _Skywalker_ for the Empire when there is also a _Kenobi?"_ He bellowed. "Yours and Ren's are two of the most powerful bloodlines connected to the Force. Both of you were _supposed_ to have come to me after the purge of the Jedi Order, if it weren't for _Luke_ Skywalker, who I have now come to realize was the one who left you on Jakku under the eye of Lor San Tekka, thinking you would remain protected from your bond to a user of the dark side. But that only shows Skywalker's ignorance, as due to your bond with Ren, it was only a matter of time until the Force brought you into contact with him again."

Rey stared blankly up at Snoke, trying to wrap her mind around what he'd just explained to her, attempting to parse out if what he was saying made any sense. She focused down at the floor, her mind swimming with comprehension. _He may be lying,_ she thought, _but this does provide an explanation for most everything._

"Has Luke even told you why you were left on Jakku?" Snoke snarled.

Rey solemnly shook her head, despairing. "He said he didn't know who did it," she said feebly.

"Precisely. Skywalker _lies._ He lies to keep you from your true destiny," he said, straightening himself as does a king.

Rey's eyes raised to his bitterly. "Which is _what?"_ She snapped.

He frowned at her tone. "To fight for the _Empire,"_ he hissed, his words continuing to echo in the chamber.

"I will do _nothing_ of the sort," she said defiantly, standing taller. "I _am_ a Kenobi, and as such, I will _not_ fall to the dark."

Snoke opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to falter.

Rey stepped forward, taking the opportunity to press further. "You cannot bend me to your will, no matter how large you like to pretend you are," she mocked, and Snoke's head tilted backward in clear astonishment.

"How _dare_ you challenge me!" He boomed, his hands forming into fists.

"You're just an apparition, you're _nothing,"_ Rey spat, tenacity building within her. "You're hiding behind this projection because you're _afraid,_ aren't you?" She probed, stepping closer to his form as she scowled up at him. "You're afraid to face Ben and I together. You yourself said our bond makes us stronger," she said with feigned assurity.

He narrowed his eyes, pointing a large accusatory finger down at her. "And when you two are _reunited,_ you shall come to realize that he is _Kylo Ren._ You believe he has compassion for you, as he once did, but a _sith_ has no room for _compassion,"_ Snoke hissed, a cruel smile curling on his face. "You will see, once he has been fully _corrected."_

Rey stepped forward, about to speak again, but Snoke's hologram flickered away, leaving her alone in the giant chamber once again. She remained stock-still in the center of the chamber as she heard the metal door clicking open behind her, heavy footsteps marching in as the group of stormtroopers regained their grasp on her, tugging her out of the chamber, her eyes remaining on the empty throne as she was pulled backwards.

….

Several days passed as Rey remained in her tiny cell, weakened from malnourishment. She had been brought water and some very meager rations over the past few days by a stormtrooper, but she presumed that this had not been his orders, that what he had brought her were most likely his own leftovers, seemingly out of pity.

Rey had gotten him to speak to her a little bit, as he was often posted outside of her cell door to keep guard. Several times she attempted to overtake his mind, but he had called her out on it. She realized he must not be as weak-minded as the others seemed to be.

As Rey sat scratching a tally mark onto the wall just as she'd done back on Jakku, she was reminded of Finn, how he was essentially a stormtrooper gone rogue. Looking across at the stormtrooper through the bars of the door, the same one who brought her food, she realized it was possible for this to potentially occur again.

"Hey, what's your name?" She asked him. The stormtrooper turned his helmeted head over his shoulder to look back at her.

"I already told you. AN-838," he said, facing forward once again.

"No, your _real_ name. Your birth name. The one given to you before you worked for the Empire," she said.

He looked back at her again, remaining silent for a few long moments. "I don't know. I don't have one," he said, turning back around.

"I'll give you one, then," Rey said, and she watched as his shoulders dropped in seeming frustration.

"Look, girl, my name is AN-838 and that's that."

Rey ignored him. "Hmm...what about _Aaron?"_ She asked, and he didn't respond. "Or Allan? That seems to suit you quite nicely," she said.

He turned fully around to look at her, and she looked up at him with an encouraging smile. "Do you like Allan?" She asked.

She heard him sigh through his helmet. "If that's what you want to call me, fine," he said. He began to turn around, but stopped halfway, looking back at her again. "What is _your_ name?"

"I'm Rey. It's nice to meet you, Allan," she said, giving him a friendly smile. He seemed to stare at her a moment before turning back around.

"Hey Allan, don't you want a last name?" She asked, and she heard him swear under his breath.

….

Ben lay on the chair motionless, his energy and muscles spent from having gone through seemingly endless electrocution and torture. He remained locked down against the chair, the steel brace on the lower half of his face only removed when a nurse or general was instructed to give him some water or a meager ration of food. He knew they were purposefully keeping him weak so that Snoke would later be able to finish breaking his mind.

His eyes followed a stormtrooper that came into the room that had clearly been ordered to check on him. The trooper looked him over a moment and then turned to leave.

"Wait," Ben choked out, and the stormtrooper slid to a stop, slowly turning around to look back at him. He silently waited for Ben to continue, clearly apprehensive to speak to the former commander. "Where is she?"

The stormtrooper stared at him in confusion. "She?"

"Rey. The scavenger. The girl from Jakku, whatever you are calling her. Where is she?"

"Oh, the prisoner girl, yes," the stormtrooper said, hesitating. "To quote General Hux's orders, she's, uh, to be left in the ship's prison to die and rot," he said, coughing nervously. He then spun on his boots and marched out of the room.

Renewed energy building within him, Ben shook his arms against his restraints, the metal clanking and echoing in the small room. Using his anger to fuel his access to the Force, he tried to strengthen himself to break from the chair, but he heard the annoyingly familiar march of boots heading his way.

Ben threw his head back against the chair and groaned in angry frustration as Hux returned to the room, biting into the remainder of his lunch. Ben couldn't help but stare at the food, so hungry as he was.

He wondered in alarm if Rey had been fed at all. Glaring across at Hux, he realized that under this man's orders, she probably hadn't. He could still sense Rey's presence a distance away on the ship, so he knew she was alive, but it seemed that Snoke had been trying to break through their telepathy, and, he suspected, their very bond. He couldn't let Snoke break it.

"Hungry, Ren?" Hux teased, raising his plate of food. Ben scowled silently in concentrated hatred at Hux. Hux set down his food and picked up the chair's controller, and Ben shivered as he prepared himself for the day's third 'correction' session. "Let's get started," Hux said, pressing on the button.

But only a few minutes after he'd started up the chair, Hux turned it off again, peering at Ben curiously. "You don't look so _well,_ Ren. Perhaps you should be eating some more," he mocked, picking up his food tray once again. As he picked at his food, Hux's brows lowered in thought. "You know, I've been thinking. Maybe I'll give you a break today," he said, shovelling another bite of food into his mouth.

Ben couldn't help but feel a small rush of relief as he stared at Hux curiously. But he narrowed his eyes as he continued to study Hux, knowing that this was out of character, that this was too good to be true.

"Besides, there's something that's been on my mind, Ren," Hux continued, throwing the remainder of his food into a trash bin. "That girl of yours," he sneered, a twisted smile curling his lips. "You sure know how to pick them, Ren, I'll give you that," he said.

Ben's eyes widened in shock as he stared across incredulously at Hux. _No._

Hux wiped his hands together. "I mean, she's pretty, for a scavenger, at least," he said, licking his mouth.

"You wouldn't _dare,"_ Ben growled, his voice dripping with testosterone.

"Of course I would. She's young, feisty. She and I are to become great _friends,"_ he hissed.

Ben swore at Hux as the general marched jauntily out of the room, his eyes following Hux with a savage red fury.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben's like Mad Max with that steel on his face. Will he be able to rescue Rey? Maybe it's just me, but I think it's a good idea for Hux to watch his back in the future...Anyways, thanks for reading! I know we're all here for some good Reylo, and it shall return in due time...


	29. Garbage Run

Ben kicked wildly against the chair's restraints, growling furiously as he struggled to free himself, consumed with the drive to destroy Hux before he so much as laid a slimy hand on her.

_Rey, Rey get out of there,_ he urged desperately, but he knew his telepathic efforts were blocked out by Snoke.

He shut his eyes tight as he tapped into his deepest fury, his darkest thoughts, the chair shaking and rattling as he pushed against the steel restraints.

His right arm broke free, but he wasted no time in trying to pry the steel off of his left, straining against the brace that held his head back against the chair. He became so engrossed in concentrating on using the Force to break free that he hadn't heard Captain Phasma enter the room.

_"Sir,"_ she addressed, and Ben's eyes flickered over to her. Phasma moved her hands to her chrome helmet and slowly removed it, looking at him with a solemn expression. Ben froze momentarily, not having seen her without her helmet for years.

"Phasma?" He said, taken aback.

She lifted her eyebrows as she reached into a pack at her side that he hadn't noticed. Ben's mouth dropped open as she pulled out the black and silver hilt of his lightsaber, extending it to him.

Ben hesitantly took it, eyeing her suspiciously as she moved to the side of the room, pressing buttons on a controller that opened the restraints on his body, the steel unclamping from his face. Ben hopped up from the chair but immediately fell back against it, his head swimming as the hilt of his saber clacked against the metal chair.

"Easy does it," Phasma said, and handed him a vial of water. As he chugged the water, Phasma peered over towards nervously. "You need to go, before a security unit comes by again," she urged. Ben stepped towards her, placing an uneasy hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you," he said ardently, and began stalking away.

"Wait," Phasma called, and he looked back at her. She trotted to his side and pulled a bulging cloth out of the pack. She removed the cloth, revealing his helmet. "Take this," she urged, pushing it into his free hand. She looked up at him seriously. "Safety first."

….

Rey sat in the corner of her cell, scratching drawings into the metal surface of the wall near her tally marks.

"What are you drawing?" Allan asked, his helmeted head peering through the bars of her cell door.

She smiled at him, content that she had gradually formed a form of friendship between them, some feeble humanity. "These are my friends. This here is a pilot, the greatest in the galaxy. His name is Poe. And this—" she said, tapping on a drawing of a stormtrooper without a helmet— "this is my friend Finn. He used to be a stormtrooper, like you."

Allan's head jolted. _"Used_ to? What, did he just leave?"

Rey nodded. "Yep. He felt that he had nothing to fight for," she said, eyeing him closely. "And now he gets to choose what he wants to do with his life. He's...happy."

Allan regarded her silently as they both heard the clicking of approaching boots. The stormtrooper turned around as a red-headed general in all black marched up to him.

"Unlock the cell," he demanded, and Allan seemed to hesitate before turning around and pressing the buttons on the door to unlock it.

As the barred door swung open, the red-headed man stepped into the cell, his hands clasped behind his back.

"My, you're the little rebel _scum_ that Kylo Ren seems so attached to," the general taunted, tilting his head as he studied her. Rey felt a chilling unease, and she slowly scooted back farther into her corner.

"What do you want?" She asked sharply.

The general suddenly stepped towards her, and Rey got to her feet, folding her arms in front of her. "Jumpy, are we?" He mocked, moving closer to her. With growing dread, Rey recognized the greedy look in his eyes.

"Get _away_ from me," she snapped, trapped in her corner.

"Come _here,"_ he snarled, grabbing at her arm, and Rey struggled against him. She hissed through her teeth as he tried to pry her arms above her head.

Suddenly, a blast echoed in the small room, and the general collapsed to his feet, shrieking in pain as he gripped at his side. Rey looked up at Allan standing in the doorway, his blaster still held out before him. He seemed frozen in place. "What did I just do?" He breathed.

"Allan!" Rey exclaimed, and leapt over the general as she ran into the stormtrooper, embracing him. "Thank you, my friend," she said fervently. He seemed about to take his helmet off when the sound of quick, heavy footsteps grew near from the end of the hall.

The stormtrooper pushed Rey behind him as he flipped around, his blaster trained on the end of the hall, waiting defensively.

Suddenly, a crackling red lightsaber followed by a familiar black form entered at the end of the hall. Allan began shooting at him, and the helmeted Ben was quick to parry his shots.

"No! Stop!" Rey exclaimed, shoving Allan aside as hard as she could. He watched confusedly as Rey faced Ben, who stood motionless in the hall as he gazed across at her.

"Rey," Ben said, startled, his voice obscured through the helmet's modulator.

Her eyes moistening with tears, Rey ran towards him, and he met her halfway, disengaging his lightsaber as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly for a moment.

"O-oh," Allan said dejectedly behind them.

Rey pulled gently away, looking up at his helmet as Ben raised his hands to either side of it, clicking it off of his head. Rey's mouth opened in dismay as she saw the blood all over his face, the purplish coloring around his eyes, his sallow pallor.

"Are you alright?" He asked concernedly.

Rey nodded assuredly. "Yes, I'm fine."

She placed a hand to his cheek, a tear streaming down her own. "Ben, what have they done to you?" She asked wistfully. He closed his weary eyes at her touch and and Rey leaned up to kiss him, but stopped as a voice behind her spoke.

_"Ren!_ How can you even stand?" The general snarled, staggering into the hall from the cell. He gripped at his bleeding side.

Ben moved Rey to the side with his arm as he stalked up to the general. "You," he seethed, "You're coming with _me."_

"You and _what_ army? You'll never get out of— _AHHHHHHH!"_ The general screamed in agony as Ben had whipped out and ignited his saber, slicing straight through the general's leg.

Rey gasped, the blood draining from her face. She staggered back into the wall behind her, alarmed at Ben's brutality.

The general again crumpled to the floor, blood spurting from his stumped thigh as Ben leaned down to grab the general's remaining attached leg. Ben dragged the howling general behind him as he turned around, looking over at Rey's white face.

"Let's go," he said calmly, nodding towards her, and Rey looked from Ben to Allan, who now peered nervously from around the corner of Rey's cell door. Ben realized her apprehension, concern crossing his dark features. "Rey, we _have_ to go," he urged, and began moving forward, dragging the general along behind him.

Rey reluctantly moved to his side, away from the general and his thick trail of blood, trying not to think about the situation too much. She eyed Ben out of the corner of her eye as he slid his helmet back on with his free hand.

As they reached the main open corridor that ran through the ship, they ran into a troop of passing stormtroopers, who all backed into each other in alarm in Ben's presence. Their helmets swivelled as they looked between Rey, Ben, and the general that he drug behind him.

Ben straightened himself imposingly, igniting his crackling saber before him in his free hand. "You're all next, if you don't get back to work," he threatened. The troopers immediately shoved through one another to flip around and continue down the hall. Even Rey shivered at his menacing tone, the chilling quality the helmet gave to his voice.

"Yes, _yes,_ Commander," the troopers stuttered.

Ben and Rey continued down the hall swiftly, Ben attaching his lightsaber back at his side. Rey nearly jogged to keep up at his side.

"Where are we going?" She whispered as they passed another group of staring stormtroopers.

"The cargo hangar," he said in a low voice. "We're getting out of here."

They were nearly to the hangar as a tall, chrome stormtrooper stood in the hallway before them. Ben stopped, and Rey followed suit.

"Ben," Rey said nervously, gripping his lower arm.

"It's okay," he said quietly to her. He looked up across at the stormtrooper. "Phasma," he said, moving towards her.

The chrome trooper nodded. "Sir, your cargo ship is prepared. You'd better hurry," she urged, and turned as she began leading them down the hall. Rey was surprised as she recognized that the voice was female.

They made it into a large, open hangar where Phasma continued leading them towards a large shuttle, larger than Ben's own former command shuttle. Phasma pressed a button on the side of the ship and a loading platform dropped down.

Ben hurriedly dragged the general up into the ship, tossing his limp body inside.

_"Ugh,_ was that really necessary, Kylo?" Phasma asked, clearly disgusted.

Ben urged Rey into the ship, and she remained in the doorway as Ben stood on the loading ramp, looking down at Phasma. "Coming?" He asked through his helmet.

Phasma's helmet swiveled. "No. You two need to go. I belong here."

Ben stared at Phasma, and Rey watched him curiously. He stepped down to Phasma and began speaking to her in a hushed, low voice. Rey strained to listen, but she couldn't catch any of what he was saying. He then turned around and marched up the platform, attempting to slide past Rey into the ship, but she blocked his path.

"What did you tell her?" Rey asked, eyeing Phasma as she stalked away through the hangar.

Ben hesitated to speak, and pulled his helmet off of his head. He looked concernedly down at Rey. "I told her to make sure our ship's exit was cleared," he said, lowering his brows.

Rey shook her head, lowering her own brows. "I don't believe y—" But she was cut off as Ben pulled her face to his, pressing a deep kiss onto her lips. He slid his hand through her loose hair, pulling her closer, and Rey's mind when blank as she was filled with warm fervor, raising her hand to his arm.

When Ben broke from the kiss, he slid his hand from the back of her head to her cheek, tracing his gloved fingers across to her quivering lips.

"Enough talking. We need to get out of here," he said, dropping his hand from her face and sliding past her, moving into the pilot's chair. Rey remained frozen in place, taken aback at the power of his kiss, tracing her fingers over her mouth as he just had.

She blinked as she brought herself out of her stupor, moving into the seat next to Ben in front of the control board. She watched as he hurriedly pressed buttons along the board, and Rey moved forward to switch closed the loading ramp. Ben eyed her as she did so, his brows raising subtly.

Ben flipped on the engines, and the ship hummed to life. "Thrusters," he requested, watching Rey, and she pulled a lever. The ship began lifting from the ground of the hangar, and an alarm immediately sounded in the hangar. Rey shot Ben an alarmed look.

"You said you told her to clear our ship!" She exclaimed, and he looked at her imploringly.

"That doesn't mean they _did_ clear it!" He retorted, and began steering the ship around as stormtroopers aligned below it, their blasters aimed upwards at them. "Hold on," Ben urged as the troopers began shooting at the ship, their blasts reverberating through the metal structure.

He shoved the engines backwards and the ship shot forward, moving out of the hangar swiftly as the trooper's blasts could no longer reach them.

Behind them, the general growled. "Ren, god _damn_ you!" He shrieked, gripping onto the back of Ben's chair. Ben leapt from his seat and kicked the general away, seething.

Seeing his preoccupation, Rey jumped into Ben's empty seat and began steering the ship away from the immense star destroyer. The radar flashed and beeped as several small dots trailed them on the screen. "We've got company!" Rey called back over her shoulder as she set the ship's speed at maximum. Rey saw blasts from the oncoming TIEs on the screen, and she veered the ship left and right away from them.

Ben jumped up behind her, gripping the back of the chair. "Here, I've got it, he urged, reaching over her for the steering controls, but she shrugged his arm away.

_"No,_ let me do it," she snapped, and he remained standing behind her. Rey continued to veer the ship away from the blasts, and curiously, one by one, the TIEs turned around, reversing course. Rey stared at the control screen, not believing that they were retreating. "Why did they pull back?" She asked confoundedly.

"It must be a trick," Ben said, leaning over to peer at the screen with her. But soon enough, the TIEs left the screen, and did not return. Ben moved to the side of Rey's chair and began typing in coordinates. "Well, I've checked the system, and there are no tracking devices that would allow the Empire to follow us. I'm not sure why they turned back."

Rey eyed the coordinates Ben typed into the screen, then looked back up at him confusedly. "We're going back _there?"_ She asked, searching his eyes.

He jerked his head back towards the general's prone, unconscious body. "We need to drop off some garbage." A sly smile formed on his mouth. "You're a very talented pilot," he said, his eyebrows lifting as he looking admiringly into her eyes.

Rey felt herself blush slightly at the compliment, and she smiled at him weakly, exhausted from her endeavor. She slowly raised from her chair as Ben leaned towards her. He began raising his hand to her face, and she stopped it. He looked at her searchingly as she held his wrist, pulling the glove from his hand.

He gripped his large warm hand over hers, sliding his fingers over hers as he then slid his hand up her arm to the back of her head, kissing her gently. She tasted the blood and sweat on his mouth, but she didn't care, she wanted all of him as he was.

Rey gripped the back of his neck as she kissed him more fervently, savoring every moment. Her body pulsed with warmth, with the _Force._

Rey lost track of where they were, of anything around them. They were no longer standing in the cargo ship, they were floating, ascending into space itself. They were spinning at the very center of the universe.

_Rey,_ she heard in her mind, and she abruptly broke from the kiss, blinking and looking up into Ben's gleaming eyes.

"I—I can hear you now," she said, her eyebrows raising in surprise. She realized she could sense the comfort of his presence once again, the aura of his mind. She sensed an intensity from him as he gazed down at her, his open mouth forming a smile as he gripped her arms.

He swept her off of her feet, and she giggled as he held her above him, smiling at each other. Ben slowly lowered her back to the ground, his arms wrapping around her as he pressed his mouth to hers.

Rey pulled back from the kiss, looking up into his impassioned eyes. _Ben,_ she pressed, "I..."

Ben stared down at her a moment, his brows furrowing as his eyes grew glossy. He blinked in recognition. _"I know,"_ he said quietly, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Rey beamed as she was suddenly filled with his reciprocated emotion.

….

After their ship landed back near the snowy encampment on Drecenia, Rey watched Ben as he leaned over the general, who remained semi-conscious in his own pool of blood. It was a grotesque scene, but Rey's vision was distorted, only able to focus on ben's strong, broad form under his dark cloak.

She raised her vial to her lips, chugging down more water. Phasma had made sure the ship had been stocked with plenty of food and water, and after kissing in the control room, Ben and Rey again became aware of their hunger and had been quick to satiate their appetites.

Ben tightened the makeshift cloth tourniquet that he had made on the general's leg, and the man cursed under his breath at Ben. "Shut up," Ben snapped, glaring down at the man.

Rey stood in front of the downed general, shooting him her own angry look. "You're going to get what you deserve," she said, and the general curled his lip. He opened his mouth to speak to her, but Ben slapped him across the face.

"Don't you _dare_ speak to her, you slimy son of a _bantha,"_ Ben hissed, giving the general a kick in his side as he stood up. He shook his gloves of the general's blood and stood next to Rey, his eyes fierce as he stared down at the wriggling man.

His face softened as he looked back over at Rey, giving her a small, mischievous smile. "Let's take out the trash," he said, and she nodded in agreement.

Together, they dragged the general's body out through the snow, the man cursing and sputtering as the snow got in his face and mouth. He left a wide trail of slick red blood.

_"Where are you taking me?"_ He wheezed, his eyes red with anger.

They dragged him a bit further, between the buildings and the line of trees. Ben turned around, eyeing him calmly. "We're going to let nature take its course," he said, eyeing the blood trail. "Any time now, with that amount of blood."

Rey watched as the general looked confused, and swivelled his head in the snow as a low growl sounded within the line of trees at their side. "No," he breathed, shaking his head wildly.

"Oh, yes," Ben said darkly, narrowing his eyes at the general.

"What's his name, by the way?" Rey whispered to Ben.

"Hux," he answered quietly.

"It's _your_ turn to die and rot, Hux," Rey called, and she and Ben moved away from him as several shrieks sounded from the forest. She felt a strong, strange satisfaction from watching him lying in the snow.

Ben smiled over at Rey, raising his eyebrows. "I'm so glad you're okay," he breathed, his eyes dropping to the snow below. "If you hadn't…"

Rey moved in front of him, looking up at his solemn face as several nexus stalked toward Hux from the woods. "Hey," she breathed, and Ben's eyes lifted to hers. She smiled at him, bringing a hand to his face. "I'm right here." She leaned up and kissed him, her lips sliding against his fervidly.

The nexus descended upon Hux behind them, and Rey was only vaguely aware of the man's shrieks and screams as the began tearing into him, as if the Force itself were separating them from their environment. Again, Rey felt that they were in their own world, nothing else mattering but Ben's lips on hers, his breath on her face.

Ben kissed her more deeply, pressing her backwards through the snow as his hands slid to her face, her arms, her waist. Rey gasped as he suddenly scooped her up into his arms, carrying her over the snow towards the line of buildings ahead. She gripped onto him tightly as they floated away, increasingly oblivious of the carnage taking place behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one messes with Solo's girl! Looks like Rey has a certain effect on most men around her...and it also seems that she's influenced by Ben's dark side, enjoying watching Hux in the snow. Do you feel bad for Hux, or do you think he got what he deserved? Thanks for reading!


	30. Home

Ben carried Rey through the doorway of their former place of residence. As Ben shut the door behind them with the Force, silence encapsulated them. Ben set Rey down on her feet in front of him.

Rey tilted her head slightly as she blinked up at him, studying his dark hair, his mouth, the stirring in his eyes. She felt a paralyzing tension, the air between them seeming to shake. Her heart thudded so hard in her chest she wondered if Ben could hear it.

Ben raised his hand, gently brushing the hair out of her face. His fingers slid gently down her face, a seriousness in his expression. Rey let out a quick breath just before his mouth pressed down to hers. She slid her hands to his upper arms, his lips brushed against hers. Ben's hand held the back of her head as the other pulled her body closer to his.

Rey reached her hand around Ben's neck, sliding up through his hair, her fingers intertwining with the thick strands. Ben kissed her more deeply, his tongue sliding sliding through her lips, his arms keeping her ever closer to him. Rey began to feel dizzy, savoring the feeling of his lips against hers.

Ben pressed her against his body, gently moving her backwards until the back of Rey's legs were stopped by the side of the couch. Their kisses grew quicker, more urgent, Ben's hands gripping at her waist. Rey hopped up unto the armrest of the couch behind her. Ben's hands moved down under her thighs, pulling her legs around his hips.

Rey sucked in a surprised breath, overwhelmed by the passions and urges burgeoning within her. There was a burning in her chest, a surging fire in her veins. She felt a nervous excitement, overwhelmed by the feelings Ben brought to her.

Ben's mouth traced from her lips to her jaw. He slid lower to her neck as he pressed his mouth against her sensitive skin, and Rey's head tilted back. Ben's hand rose to the back of her head as a soft sigh escaped her mouth. He pressed his lips along her neck, sending shivers down her body, and she struggled to remain still. She gripped at his hair, taking in his familiar musk, her fingers sliding down and pressing along the dried blood on his cheeks as he kissed just below her ear.

Ben jolted backwards suddenly, wincing. He pressed at his temples, obviously in pain. Rey felt a faint stinging feeling in her head, seeming to emanate from him through their bond.

"Ben, are you okay?" Rey asked concernedly, her eyes flickering over the bloodstains that remained on his sallow face. He blinked slowly, his eyes shifting wearily to hers.

"I'm fine," he said flatly, furrowing his brows and lowering his hands from his face. Rey sensed that he was not.

She stood up clumsily from the couch, feeling dazed. She stood in front of him and pressed a hand up to his cheek, looking up into his brown eyes.

"You need to rest, you're in a lot of pain. I can feel it," she said. She lightly brushed a finger across the faint diagonal scar on his cheek.

Ben stared heavily down into her eyes for a long moment, then leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm fine," he repeated, softer this time. He tilted his head as he observed her, a smugness tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I should probably wash up."

Following his gaze, Rey rubbed her own cheek, seeing his dried blood caked on her fingers. "As should I," she said, wrinkling her nose.

He smiled at her, but his smile faded as his gaze traced over her face again. He abruptly turned and made his way to his room, Rey's eyes trailing behind him.

….

After Rey toweled off and pulled her clothes on again, she stood in her room, staring through the small window at the far wall at the sparkling snow outside. She sensed Ben's calm presence in the room across from hers.

Rey pondered the pain that she had felt in him earlier, and she wondered what all had been done to him on Snoke's ship. _Maybe I shouldn't ask, just yet,_ she thought.

Exhausted, she moved towards her bed but suddenly froze, remembering what Snoke had told her—how Ben had wiped her memory of her earliest childhood. _It can't really be true,_ she thought, shaking her head. _Could it?_

Rey tip-toed out into the hall, pressing against Ben's closed door. _Are you awake?_

After a moment, she heard _yes._

Rey gently pushed open the door as she saw Ben outstretched on the too-small bed, his feet nearly hanging off of the edge due to his long stature. Ben sat himself up against the pillows behind him, brushing his wet hair out of his clean face. He watched her expectantly as she moved forward to the side of the bed, folding her fingers apprehensively.

"What is it?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Back on the ship, the Empire's ship, I...I was brought to Snoke," she said, meeting his eyes.

Ben sat up straighter, his brows furrowing. "You didn't tell me," he said, concern rising in his voice. "What did he say—what did he _do?"_

Rey hesitated to speak, sensing his sudden flare of temper, and shifted her gaze. She sensed Ben calm down, and he scooted farther from her on the bed, patting the empty space between them. She climbed onto the bed, sitting next to him against the pillows as she stared down at her lap. Ben watched her face as he waited for her to speak.

"He spoke of when you and I both trained under Luke, which I already knew about—Leia told me," she said, glancing over at him quickly at the mention of his mother. She shook her head slowly. "But I don't remember... _any_ of it, Ben," she said, meeting his eyes again.

"I know you don't," he said flatly.

"Snoke said...that _you_ wiped my mind."

"I did," Ben said. He leaned towards her. "But I did it to protect you, Rey. I didn't know we had a Force bond, at the time, but Snoke was in my head—always in my head—he kept saying that I had to bring you with me when he came to the Jedi Order, that you couldn't be killed with the others…" he trailed.

Rey watched him as he stared away from her, his expression detached, distant. "You were so small, so young...I sensed that it was wrong," he continued. "I knew that Snoke was...I didn't want you going to him. I thought he was in your head, too, so…" he trailed, his voice strained. "I thought it was best to wipe your mind, so you wouldn't follow me to him...I'm sorry, Rey. I didn't know what else to do."

Rey turned onto her left side, facing him. "It's okay, Ben," she said, moving her right arm forward and resting it on his. He wore a thin short-sleeved shirt, and Rey's eyes surveyed the bruises and red splotches that marked his bare arm, tracing them with her fingers.

"But Snoke told me something else," Rey continued. "He said that he forged our bond."

Ben looked at her solemnly for a moment, then dropped his eyes. "I know," he said quietly.

"Why didn't you say anything, then?"

He hesitated. "I didn't want to frighten you. Snoke never told me, but I felt—I figured it out on my own."

"How did it happen, then? When was the bond formed?"

Ben sighed, looking away from her. "I remember...Snoke once told me to heal you, when you were hurt one day. I didn't know how to do Force healing, Luke hadn't taught me, it was too advanced...but his voice...Snoke's...he kept telling me to try, just _try."_

"He said that he forged it because of our bloodlines, because we're a Skywalker and a Kenobi," Rey added, confusion in her voice.

Ben lowered his brows, nodding his head as he looked away from her. "Well. Yes."

Rey sensed that he knew more, that there were other thoughts running through his mind, and she waited for him to continue. But he didn't, his gaze still turned away from her.

"Ben?" She prompted gingerly.

He turned his head back to her, looking at her with a hesitant look in his eyes. "Yes?"

"What did they do to you, back there?" She asked, eyeing his pallid complexion. "You just don't look yourself."

Ben's face twitched. "Well, I wasn't exactly treated as an honored guest," he said bitterly. Rey studied him with concern, and Ben's face softened. "I'm fine," he assured her, running his fingers through the ends of her hair.

"If you're _not_ fine, you can say so," Rey said softly.

Ben gave a small sigh, his eyes flickering away from hers. "I mean, if I'd have been there much longer…" his jaw shifted, his face growing serious. He shook his head, looking at her placidly. "I'll heal."

Rey continued tracing the bruises on his arm, her fingers coming to rest on two purple and red burn marks just below his sleeve. They appeared to be fairly recent.

"Did _I_ do that to you?" She asked quietly, remorse surging through her as her eyes moved from the burns to the scar that marked his face. Ben didn't answer as he looked back over at her. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. "I did do that, didn't I?...I'm sorry, Ben. Look, now we're even, aren't we?" She breathed, a smile playing across her lips.

Ben's eyes flickered over her face, his expression warming as a small smile formed on his mouth. He leaned slowly towards her, brushing the hair from her face as he placed another kiss on her forehead, sending warmth through Rey's body.

Yawning, Rey turned to lay on her back, her eyes blinking ever more slowly, exhaustion overcoming her as she gradually drifted off to sleep next to Ben.

….

Rey awoke in soft yellow sunlight, laying on her right side. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she realized Ben's arm was draped over her waist, and she felt his deep, even breathing on the back of her neck. She had never before felt so comforted, so _secure._ Rey stretched her legs, and she sensed Ben rise to consciousness as she stirred.

She heard Ben take in a deep breath, his arm tightening around her as he pulled her body flush against the front of his. She felt a surge of warmth course through her as she lay against him.

_Is it morning?_ She asked telepathically. She felt Ben's mind stir.

_Maybe, we slept a long time. It was much needed._ Ben groaned softly as she felt him stretch his long legs. Rey wrapped her arm around his as he held her, enjoying the warmth of his body, his soft breaths on her neck and shoulder.

After a few minutes, Ben slid his arm from her and climbed off of the bed on his side. Rey stared across at him, disappointed, and watched as he made his way into the wash room across from the bed.

Rey reluctantly got out of the bed, yawning and stretching as she made her way to the kitchen. She grimaced when she saw that the remaining snowfruit that Ben had collected during their previous stay on the planet had begun to rot. She stared at the fruit, feeling a strange sadness at the sight.

As Ben came into the living area, he looked curiously over at Rey, who was pulling on her cloak and boots. She look ardently across at him as she raised up slowly, feeling a tug in her chest. "Ben," she said earnestly, "let's go home."

Ben opened his mouth to speak, then shut it, staring at her silently for a moment. His gaze shifted to the ground as she watched him grind his jaw, lost in thought. After a few moments of silence, his eyes rose to hers once again.

"Okay."

….

As the loading platform descended down into the snow from the cargo ship, Rey caught Ben looking back across the snow at the wreckage of his former command shuttle. One of its black wings was crumpled, and the whole thing looked like some sort of giant crashed animal.

Rey patted Ben's arm in mock comfort. "It's okay, I'm sure you can have a new one built one day," she said, smiling up at him.

Rey took a few steps up the cargo ship's platform, but Ben remained in the snow behind her, continuing to stare across at the ship forlornly. "It's a shame," he said, shaking his head down at the snow. He squinted his eyes against the sunlight as he peered over at Rey. "Well, at least you made it," he said, walking up the platform. "But I'd be happier if you had _both_ survived," he added under his breath, and Rey laughed softly.

As they walked into the control room, Rey saw Ben heading for the main pilot's chair, and she pushed past him, making a mad dash towards it. She hopped into the chair, looking back smugly at Ben, who frowned. He let out a breath, the hair on his forehead lifting up.

"Fine, you can pilot it first," he said, moving into the chair next to her.

Rey ignited the engines and lifted the ship up from the snow beneath. As she soon afterward steered the ship out of the planet's atmosphere and orbit, Ben remained silent, and Rey looked over at him. She was surprised when she saw that he had fallen back asleep, his head resting against the side of his chair. Compassion flooded through her as she realized just how drained he really was.


	31. Across the Stars

Time sped by as Ben and Rey travelled towards the Azalea star system, and Rey felt that her bond with Ben grew stronger with each passing day. Even so, Ben seemed to have regressed into his former stoic and untalkative self. Rey sensed that whatever had been done to him on Snoke's ship seemed to have truly caught up with him now, as he slept through most of the first leg of their journey.

The two took turns each day resting in the small sleeping chambers and manning the ship's controls, keeping a close monitoring of the ship's scanners in case they crossed paths with Empire ships or pirates.

After five days of travelling, Rey felt well-rested and nourished. Ben too had noticeably begun to heal, his face gaining more color as he continued to rest and eat regularly.

Despite his quietude, Rey had occasionally gotten Ben to open up to her about some of his memories from his childhood. He told her stories of how Chewbacca would carry him around when he was little, as well as how his parents would tell him about their past adventures with Luke. Rey noticed that Ben's eyes seemed to light up when he relayed these memories to her, reflecting on them fondly instead of with disdain.

Rey enjoyed his stories, and she in turn told him some of her own, of her scavenging on Jakku, how she was pressed to find salvageable items in order to earn food portions, and how she often had to fight off thugs and bandits. Ben appeared sympathetic when she told him these things, but she assured him that growing up alone on Jakku had taught her valuable survival skills and made her stronger, more capable to fend for herself.

Rey enjoyed their conversations, but she grew increasingly anxious as each day passed; Ben hadn't attempted to touch her again since Drecenia, much less kiss her. It all felt so _platonic._ Rey became fidgety, often shooting Ben quick, conjuring looks, feeling too awkward to bring up the subject in conversation. She wondered what was holding him back, or worse—if his feelings about her had potentially changed.

There was a marked seriousness about Ben as they neared the Azalea system, an apprehension that she sensed on his part, and Rey had of course expected him to feel this way, especially now that they were on the last leg of their traveling. But she hadn't predicted that his apprehension would carry over to his feelings about _her._ Though she didn't show it on the outside, suppressing her feelings from him, Rey felt hurt.

As Rey sat across from Ben in front of the control board, she gazed over at the side of his pale face as he stared ahead at the stars.

"We're only about two days out now, maybe less," he said, his tone distant.

"Ben...it'll be okay," Rey said gently, turning her pilot's chair towards his as he continued to gaze ahead.

"I'm not so sure," Ben said, a tremor in his voice.

"You...do know your mother loves you," Rey said, focusing on his profile.

He turned to look at her, a slight surprise in his eyes. Or was it hope? Ben opened his mouth to speak, but instead stared at her silently.

"Ben," Rey prompted.

"Yes," he breathed.

"When we were both younger—when we were training under L—the Jedi Order," she began, choosing her words carefully to keep the mood light, "were we...friends?"

Ben's eyebrows quivered, a faraway look developing in his eyes. "Yes, certainly," he said. A brief smile spread across his mouth as his gaze shifted, and Rey felt his memories surging. "You were so small...you were the youngest one in training, actually. You would follow me around all the time. You always wanted me carry you around on my shoulders—you'd pretend you were flying, and that I was your spaceship," he said, smiling.

_"Would_ I?" Rey asked, laughing.

"Yes, and I remember how eager you were to learn everything. You were so brave for someone so small," he remarked with another smile, raising an eyebrow as he gazed at her. "But nothing much has changed with you, has it?"

Rey smiled back at him, but it faded from her face. "I wish I could remember what you were like, back then," she said. "Before…."

Ben sighed, his gaze drifting away. "It doesn't matter now," he said flatly. "I'm not the same person as I was before."

Rey felt the ache that rang in his chest, and she wanted so badly to reach out and comfort him, but she restrained herself. Rey wondered if Ben had realized this, as his eyes quickly flickered back to hers. Yet again she sensed his apprehensiveness.

Eyes locked onto his, Rey pressed into Ben's mind and felt him blocking her out. Perhaps because of the strength of their bond, she was able to push past him, and she sensed that his feelings for her _did_ remain, and that they might have even have grown stronger. Yet she realized that he was suppressing his feelings, his emotions bubbling under the surface of strict restraint, and confusion filled Rey. Ben lowered his brows, pushing her fully back out of his mind. Rey rose from her chair, staring across at him.

"You're hiding your feelings," she accused, studying his strained face. "Why?"

Ben clenched his jaw, shifting his gaze away from her. Rey stepped towards him, and he straightened his posture in his chair.

"Why do you suppress what you feel?" She pressed, standing directly before him.

Ben rose from his chair, his face suddenly surly. "You seem so _sure_ of my feelings," he said defensively.

"You realize we have a _bond,_ Ben. I _know_ what you feel, even if you try to hide it from me," she retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"That _doesn't_ mean—I—" He stammered, struggling for words. His hands began to tighten at his sides.

"Why are you so cross?"

"I'm not— _cross,"_ he snapped, glaring down at her.

Feeling his tense energy, Rey returned his glare, searching his dark, expressive eyes. "What's gotten _into_ you?" She asked, stepped back away from him. "You're different, you've changed—you seem so bothered by your feel—" Rey was cut off as Ben had swiftly breached the gap between them, pressing an impulsive kiss to her mouth as his hands slid to her cheeks. Rey jolted in surprise, sucking in a quick breath through her nose.

Rey's body began to relax as Ben held the kiss. She moved her lips against his, and he reciprocated eagerly, his hand sliding to the back of her head as he tilted her jaw up with the other. Rey's thoughts emptied, the train of their conversation gone as her body and mind swam with visceral warmth.

Rey gripped at the sleeves of his upper arms, feeling his strong muscles underneath the thick fabric. Ben wrapped an arm around her lower back, pulling her closer to him as he kissed her deeply, hungrily, his tongue sliding against hers. Rey's body pulsed as he gripped at the fabric of her clothing, feeling his desire for her body to be as close to his as possible. Rey continued to pressed herself into him, and they slowly staggered backwards until she felt Ben's legs hit the chair behind him. He briefly broke from her, dropping back down into the chair as his hands slid downwards along her body, remaining on the sides of her hips. His dark eyes were penetrating as he looked up at her.

Rey clambered on top of him, quickly adjusting herself as she straddled him. Leaning into him, she planted a fervent, wet kiss onto his mouth, and he cupped her face. As he kissed her back, Ben's hands slid along her waist, gripping her hips. He kissed her with responsive passion. Rey's fingers twirled and tugged his thick hair as his kisses moved down to her neck, the sounds of his heavy breaths causing her to shiver. Soft sounds escaped her mouth as he pressed his lingering lips along her neck.

Rey felt as if she were in a white haze, sparks forming within her closed eyelids. She felt Ben's fervent desire mixing with her own, swirling and sonorant.

Ben raised his face and kissed her on the mouth again, more slowly this time, sliding a hand tenderly down the back of her head through her tousled hair. Rey paused to catch her breath, her bleary eyes flitting over his ruddy face. She felt his chest rise and fall heavily against hers as she leaned into him, his thudding heartbeat mirroring her own.

"Rey," he breathed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. He pressed a soft kiss to her mouth, searching her eyes. "I'm sorry. For being cross."

Rey released a breathy laugh, pressing another deep kiss onto his lips. "I know," she said. She kissed him again and again, sliding her hand along his sleeve. She pressed her body more deeply into his, her heart jumping as a soft sound escaped under his breath between kisses.

Ben soon broke from her lips, taking her hand in his, turning it over as he seemed to observe it against his own. He moved her hand up to his mouth, peppering soft kisses from her wrist to the ends of her fingers, his dark eyes flickering up to hers. Electric pulses shot up her arm, spreading through her at each gentle contact of his lips to her hand.

"Why...why suppress _this?"_ Rey asked softly as she gazed at him.

Ben released her hand, sliding his own down to rest at the sides of her hips. He seemed to take her in, his eyes flickering all over her. "Suppression of what I feel is all I've known for the past fifteen or so years," he said, his face twitching. "So with you... _you_...everything is different. I wasn't used to it. I'm still not," he said, a soft glow in his eyes.

Pressing into his mind, Rey's eyebrows quivered. "You're afraid," she realized. "But what is there to fear?"

Ben opened his mouth to speak, his gaze shifting. "Snoke. I can't let him get to you," he said, his voice lower. "I'm afraid to lose you," he murmured, his flickering back to hers.

Rey traced a finger gently along the faint line of the scar snaking down his cheek. "I'm not going anywhere," she assured, and kissed the same place on his cheek. "After all, we share a Force bond. You're stuck with me," she said, smiling at him teasingly.

Ben stared at her a moment, his eyes stirring. "I've always known it was you," he said quietly.

"What do you mean?" She asked, puzzled.

"I've had dreams—visions—about you, for years. I knew I would find you one day, I just never knew when," he said, his gaze moving around her face. "So when I heard about a girl with the droid—the BB-8 unit—that's all I could think about— _you._ I kept wondering—hoping it was the girl I kept envisioning."

Rey remained quiet, listening to him intently. His shimmering dark eyes fixated on hers. "I wasn't sure it was you at first... I'd had a vision of you holding my old blue lightsaber, so when you called it into your hands, I realized—it _was_ you. I'd known it all along, but I just had to be sure, because all that time I couldn't believe what I was seeing. A force-sensitive girl from an isolated desert planet-from Jakku—and how hard I'd already fallen—" he cut himself off, glancing away momentarily. Rey watched him, and his eyes returned to hers, his brows furrowing.

He pulled her face to his, gently kissing her forehead, her eyelid, pressing his lips along her face as his mouth trailed down to her own.

Rey kissed him back, fluttering emotion overcoming her as she began to understand his initial hunting of her. _It makes sense now,_ she thought, and parted from his lips. She blinked at him hazily, feeling as if in a trance. Her eyes began to refocus as Ben narrowed his eyes at her.

"I wonder…" he breathed, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Rey tilted her face, puzzled, and he swiftly stood from the chair, lifting her up with him. She giggled as he flipped her around, ducking his head and pulling her up onto his shoulders. He gripped her lower legs, turning his face to look back up at her.

"This doesn't bring back any memories?" He asked, his face bright.

"No, it doesn't," Rey laughed, leaning over his head. "But my head is about to hit the ceiling here." She leaned her face down to the side of his head, kissing his cheek, and she thought she saw his face flush. Ben lowered himself, releasing her legs, and Rey slid from his shoulders onto the ground.

She watched Ben as he stepped forward to the control board, gazing out at the stars ahead. Rey felt his anxiety return, and she stepped up to his side, rubbing his sleeve.

"Everything will work itself out," she said soothingly as she traced her fingers across his arm. "Once Leia and Luke know the truth...it will all be fine, I know it will."

Rey felt Ben's comfort at her gesture, but she watched the profile of his face closely. She couldn't help but feel that there was something he may be hiding from her, though she couldn't perceive it in his mind. Ben abruptly looked down at her, and Rey returned his gaze, wondering if he had just read her thoughts.

He leaned down and kissed her softly, his fingers lifting her chin. "I'm going to go rest for a while," he said, smiling softly, and turned to leave the control room.

She sat back down in the pilot's chair, gazing thoughtfully out at the passing stars. She reflected on how intimidating, how _brutal_ Ben could be towards an adversary, yet with her he became so gentle, so _human._ With her, he was just _Ben._

As Rey sat thinking about him, she grew restless, even lonely, her body still flushed from her recent passionate experience with Ben. Despite having felt his feelings for her again, his warm embrace, his lips against hers, Rey was only left wanting more. She had the growing impulse to wake Ben, to lay against his body as she had before on Drecenia.

Unable to control her driving impulse, Rey tip-toed to the metal door of Ben's sleeping chamber. She paused before it as she sensed that he was still awake. She pressed the control button and the door slid open to the small, dim room. She saw Ben's long, prone figure, and the door closed, forcing her eyes to adjust to the dimness.

"Rey?" Ben prompted, his voice heavy. She moved to the edge of the bed as he propped himself up onto his elbows. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing's wrong," she said, swaying on her feet, hesitating. Ben stared at her, and Rey sensed an uneasiness about him.

She slowly climbed on top of the bed, and Ben sat up quickly.

"Rey, what do you want?" His voice was tremorous.

Rey leaned towards him, but he leaned slowly away from her.

"Why are you in—you can't—" Rey pressed a finger to his mouth, cutting him off. He watched her cautiously as she leaned towards his face, her brows knitting as she stared into his dark eyes.

"I love you, Ben," she said, sliding her hand down from his mouth. She leaned closer to him, her face hovering before his as she gazed into his dark eyes intently, and she felt the spike in his heart rate as she pressed a hand onto his chest. "I love you, and I want to be with you, as lovers do. Show me—"

Ben abruptly pressed his hand over her mouth, staring at his hand as he did so. An intensity passed through his eyes as his eyes flickered back to hers, his brows drawing together.

"I love you too, Rey, you know that," he said, leaning towards her as he slid his hand from her mouth. Rey's lids lowered as he seemed about to kiss her, her chest tightening in nervous anticipation. She let out a small gasp as he swiftly scooped her into his arms, sliding off of the bed with her. He carried her through the doorway of the room and set her down onto the ground, leaving Rey blinking confusedly up at him. "And that's why you need to stay at the ship's controls," he said. Ben backed through the closing doorway before she was able to protest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! We're nearing the end of this episode, so hold on Padawans. I know we're all waiting with bated breath for a real love scene here, so what's the deal, Ben? Why must you be so full of angst?


	32. The Familial Force

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I wrote this story before the release of "Bloodline," so I had originally assumed that Ben had gone to Snoke at a younger age than 23. So there are going to be some timeline differences, but they're minor in regard to my story. Thanks for readin'.

_He stands alone in the middle of the enormous chamber, shuddering. He takes the hilt of his new lightsaber from his belt, turning and tilting it anxiously in his hands. His clammy palms leave a faint sheen on the dark metal._

_He sucks in a breath as the hulking hologram flickers on before him. He clumsily shoves the saber back into the hilt at his side. Building courage against his racing heartbeat, his eyes shift upwards to the glowing apparition._

_"Kylo Ren," the voice booms. "Your first mission approaches. You shall join the militant ranks and the other Knights to oversee their collection of new Stormtroopers."_

_Ren hesitates to speak, his eyes shifting away. "I do not yet feel ready, Master," he says._

_"Nonsense!" The Supreme Leader bellows. "Your training has gone well. You shall use your powers with the Force to punish those who resist us."_

_"But...those who are innocent? I...I..." He trails, an obvious tremor in his voice._

_The Supreme Leader leans forward on his mighty throne, sneering down at Ren. "Anyone who resists us is our enemy. Your weakness displeases me. It comes from your upbringing. Your_ father."

_Ren flinches, turning his face away from the Supreme Leader. As if he could hide the moisture welling in his eyes._

_"You have only begun your training, and already you have great promise," Snoke said, raising back up to his full upright posture. "But perhaps you are correct. Perhaps you are not yet ready."_

_Ren looked abruptly up at the Supreme Leader, a youthful flash of hope in his eyes._

_Snoke pointed a giant finger down at the young boy. "You shall continue your training on Drecenia, with the new legion of Snowtroopers."_

_Ren jolted, his head shaking. "Wha—_ Drecenia? _No, not there," he protested._

_Snoke raising his head defiantly. "To teach you discipline and strengthen your resolve, it must be done. Guards," he prompted, and a large group of stormtroopers marched into the chamber, heading swiftly towards Ren._

_Ren looked nervously between the approaching squadron and the Supreme Leader. "No, please, not Drecenia!" He begged, a tear streaming down his face._

_"Until you can learn to overcome your juvenile attachments," Snoke hissed, his hologram beginning to flicker from view._

_"No, I don't want to go!" Ren cried, struggling against the troopers as they roughly forced his arms behind his back. "I want to go_ home!" 

Ben jolted upright in the small bed, panting and sweating. His eyes hastily searched the room for danger, but he let out a shaky breath, relieved that it had just been a nightmare. He rubbed a hands against his head, wiping the perspiration from his hairline. _Not just a nightmare,_ he reflected. _A memory._

He stretched slowly as he got out of the bed, pushing the dark flashbacks out of his mind. His thoughts began to focus instead on recent hours, when Rey had come to his bed. Ben sighed deeply, running a frustrated hand through his hair. It had taken all of his willpower, all of his being to refrain from kissing her, from keeping her in his bed, from bringing her back to it after he'd pushed her out. It went against all of his overwhelming impulses, but he knew what he had to do.

His body stiffened at the wanton images floating through his mind, of Rey in his arms, her body bare and soft against his own. Her warm breaths against his face, her lustrous eyes gazing up from beneath him.

Ben clenched his fists, attempting to force the thoughts from his head, but it was to no avail. _Soon,_ he thought, leaving his room. _Soon I won't have to worry about restraining myself around her._

He found Rey at the front of the ship, and he swallowed as he watched her gazing out of the front window. His face felt hot, and he hoped it wasn't betrayingly red.

Rey turned slowly as he entered the control room, a warm, closed-mouth smile spreading across her face. Ben's heart beat harder in his chest at her loveliness, and he blinked dumbly, only managing a feeble smile back at her.

Her smile began to fade as she strode up to him. Ben sensed an uneasiness about her. "Listen, Ben, I'm sorry about bothering you, before," she said, rubbing her hands together. "I really don't know what came over me."

Ben shook his head, his brows furrowing. "No, Rey, don't apologize," he said, unable to keep himself from stroking her cheek with his thumb. He slid his finger under her chin, tilting it up as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Never apologize to me." His brows lowered as he began to sense something in the Force—a familiar presence.

Ben rose, his gaze flickering to the window behind Rey as the faint glint of a planet caught his eyes. _No, the presence of two,_ he recognized, his eyes focusing on the tiny dot of Trora. _Luke and Leia._

Rey turned around, following his gaze, and then looked back up at him. "We're nearly there," she said softly, searching his face.

Ben's eyes moved from the faraway planet to her face and back again, confliction knotting painfully in his chest. _It's for the best, for Rey,_ he concluded, studying her face.

Rey clearly sensed his upset feelings, but she misjudged them. "Ben, don't worry about all of them right now, okay? I told you, it's going to be fine. I'm right here, I'll always be at your side," she said, rubbing his sleeve.

Ben looked askance, unable to meet her gaze at her last statement.

"Hey," she cooed, gently turning his face back to hers with her finger. "It's all going to be fine."

Ben's face softened as he gazed down at her, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead before going over to the controls. Rey moved to his side, watching his movements. Ben pulled a lever and the ship immediately slowed and quieted.

Rey shot him a confused look. "What are you doing?"

Ben continued shutting down the ship's security and power systems. "We can't take this ship down to the planet, it's an Empire vehicle—they'd probably try and shoot us down," he said, gazing intently at her. "We'll have to take the escape pod."

….

"Poe!" Luke exclaimed, marching towards him out on the Star Fleet tarmac. "We need these X-wings manned, now."

Poe slowly stepped down from the X-wing fighter he'd been servicing, blinking against the sunlight at Luke as he approached. "But Luke, Sir, the ships are all undergoing their monthly repairs," he said, puzzled.

"I don't care. If they can fly, get the other pilots out here and going," Luke commanded, stopping directly before Poe.

Poe was taken aback. "Yes, of course, Sir—what's going on?"

Luke stepped closer to Poe, his eyes narrowing. "I sense him. Ben Solo. Or Kylo Ren, whatever he calls himself now," he said bitterly. "I fear the Empire may be following behind him, he must have given them our location. He must be leading an attack."

Poe's eyes widened immediately at Rey's mention. "You think he has her still? Is she headed here, too?" He questioned anxiously.

Luke sensed Poe's deep concern for Rey, and he sighed, placing his human hand on Poe's shoulder and squeezing it. "I sense her as well, yes...but...I'm not sure she'll be the same Rey as before, my boy," he said, watching as Poe's face dropped. "She may very well have been turned to the dark side."

….

As Ben steered the small escape pod down through Trora's atmosphere, he refrained from looking over at Rey, who was huddled at his side. Though he felt great anxiety over running into someone he knew on the planet, dreading crossing paths with Luke, Ben was most distressed over Rey. _It's for her, it's best for her,_ he repeated to himself in his head, shielding Rey from these thoughts.

"I can't wait to see my friends again," Rey beamed, leaning into his side. "They're all so wonderful, you'll have to meet all of them. I'm so close to them, they're like family to me." Ben's face twitched at her words, faint claws of jealousy creeping up his chest. Rey leaned away from him, watching his face. "Although...Finn, you've already...met. But he is kind, Ben, I'm sure he'll find understanding."

Ben almost snarled at the trooper's mention. He remembered seeing the trooper cradling Rey in the snow on Starkiller base, the rage that had seized Ben's body as he watched the man hold her. His thoughts flickered back to Zephus, when he'd seen the pilot swing Rey in his arms. He was revolted by the men's pathetic, false desire for her. _She is mine alone,_ he thought possessively.

Recalling that he was about to leave Rey on Trora, Ben realized that in his absence these men would probably descend on her soon enough, if they were here. Ben felt utterly sick to his stomach.

"You look so pale," Rey observed, leaning into him again, and he let out a breath. He tried his best to not focus his thoughts too much on the other men.

"I'm fine," he said flatly as he began to descend the ship into a forest clearing. He was landing the ship well away from the planet's main base to avoid detection. On the way into the planet, Ben had used the Force to push away the planet's security radar sensors.

After the small pod had landed, Ben led Rey out into the green forest. She walked close at his side as they headed towards the Organa base, and Ben felt Luke and his mother's presence grow ever stronger in the Force. He grew increasingly nervous.

Perhaps sensing his anxiety, Rey slid her small hand into Ben's, looking up at him with bright eyes. Glancing uncertainly between their hands and her glowing face, Ben reluctantly closed his hand over Rey's. He felt the connection of the Force through their hands, flowing like a warm fluid between both of their bodies.

"You'll like it here, there's lots to do," Rey said encouragingly, clearly trying to keep the mood light. "And there aren't any dangerous creatures in these woods," she added with a coy smile.

Ben smiled back at her, figuring that he might as well go along with the teasing, despite the growing pain constricting his chest. "No Nexus, then?"

"Nope."

"Thank the stars. Stormtroopers?"

Rey laughed. "No, none of those."

Ben released a mock sigh. "Good, I was tired of those. What about Rancors?"

Rey glanced up at him confusedly. "I don't even know what those are."

He smiled to himself. "That's probably for the best." He glanced up nervously through the trees ahead as he saw the side of a building not far off. His face began to flush.

"I feel your tension," Rey said, squeezing his hand. "All will be fine, Ben," she reassured.

His chest heaved, and he blinked back the moisture threatening at the corners of his eyes. As they neared the edge of the trees, he slowed to a stop, pulling her hand to bring her in front of him.

She blinked up at him with a shimmering light in her eyes, but the light appeared to fade as she studied his face. "Ben, it's okay, I'm right here," she said, clasping his other hand.

He shook his head, his gaze shifting as he tried to will the courage within him, faltering as he met Rey's concerned expression.

"I love you, Rey," he said, a tear sliding down his face. "I love you more than anything. I have to protect you. You know that, right?"

She reached up and wiped the tear from his cheek with her finger. "I know. And I love you, Ben. You have brought me belonging, fam—" She cut herself off as she gazed up at him. "What are you feeling, Ben? Tell me," she said, worry in her voice. Searching his eyes further, he knew that she realized that something immediate troubled him. "What's wrong?" She asked seriously.

Unable to speak, shuddering slightly, Ben traced his finger over her lower lip, sliding it under her chin as he tilted her face up. He kissed her deeply, sucking in a breath as his hand moved towards the back of her head. It hovered there, hesitating. Another tear sliding down his hot cheek, Ben broke gently from Rey's mouth, his face just an inch from hers as he met her warm, compassionate eyes. "I love you," he breathed against her mouth, and with that, he waved his hovering hand behind her head, rendering her unconscious.

He caught her swiftly in his arms, lifting her bridal style as he had done various times before. He held her tightly to his chest as his tears slid from his jaw to her chest, and he remained like that for several long moments, unable to part himself from her, going against his every instinct, against the very drive of the Force.

He carried her a ways a way from the escape pod, far enough that she wouldn't be able to find her way back to the pod easily but near enough to the base that it could be seen through the trees ahead. Shifting her in his arms, Ben removed the dark jacket he wore, spreading it out on the ground blanket-like beneath the shade of a tree.

Pressing a final kiss to her forehead, Ben carefully laid her down on his jacket, adjusting her limbs so that she would rest comfortably. He gazed down at her a few moments, taking her all in, before he tore himself away from her, from the pull of the Force.

As he solemnly trudged back the way he'd came, he felt the distinct feel of the Force pulling at him again, but from a different direction than where Rey was. He stopped, turning over his shoulder towards the base, considering.

Moving to the edge of the tree line, he looked and sensed for anyone nearby, finding that the area was empty for now. He wasn't sure if it was the Force or his own intrinsic drive that pushed him forward, out of the forest and ahead towards a bright, empty hangar. The presence in the Force was familiar but it was one he hadn't felt so strongly in an incredibly long time: his mother.


	33. Shattered Reunion

Heading uncertainly towards the small, empty hangar, Ben attempted to keep all of his senses aware, disabled as he felt. He struggled to breath against the pain writhing within him. His thudding heart felt constricted within his chest as he strode into the barrack, unable to tear his thoughts away from Rey.

He'd been planning to leave her on Trora ever since Snoke had gotten ahold of them both; as long as she was with him, Rey would always be in danger of being found and used by Snoke. And Ben would do everything in his power to keep that from happening—even if that meant separating himself from her, which had been even harder than he could have ever imagined. He felt as if he had left a very piece of himself behind in the woods, and he felt dazed, lost.

He followed the Force as it pulled him forward, but halfway into the hangar he stopped, attempting to root his feet to the ground, to make sense of things, to push past his morose feelings. _What am I doing?_ He thought, leaning back on his heels. _I can't go further. My mother doesn't love me anymore. I'm probably just a bitter memory in her mind._

But his deep-rooted and long-repressed pain resurged, and he let out a shaking breath. _But what if...I'll see her, just look at her, just once._ Ben bit back his apprehension as he forced himself forward again, following the Force's path. After turning into a small hallway leading inside the building from the hangar, Ben paused as he spotted a rack of worker's clothing on the wall beside him.

Ben didn't think anyone at the base would actually recognize him—even if they'd known him in his childhood, he doubted they would recognize him as an adult after all of these years—he decided it best to disguise himself. He hastily pulled off his own shirt and unwrapped the black fabric from his arms, stuffing his own clothing under a bench with his foot. He put on one of the olive uniform shirts along with an orange tool vest and hid his lightsaber in one of the vest's large pockets. He also decided to put on a pair of worker's glasses, wanting to obscure his face, although they blurred his vision.

Picking up a determined pace, Ben continued down the hall before he could rethink his decision again. As he turned down different corners and hallways, allowing the pull of the Force to guide him, Ben began to pass by various people, all in uniforms different than his own. He pointedly avoided eye contact with all of them, keeping to the path of the Force and trying to appear as if he knew exactly where he was going.

Ben's heart raced as he felt the presence of his mother grow stronger. He quickened his pace in anticipation, but just as he turned a corner he nearly crashed into another man in similar dress, and they both stopped in their tracks.

"Why aren't you at your post? Wait—who are you again?" The man asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm...Matt," Ben said flatly.

"Matt? I don't remember training any 'Matts.'"

Ben shot him a black glare, and the man decided to change the subject.

"But, that's besides the point—you should be at your station, an Empire shuttle somehow got through our radar security."

"I _know,"_ Ben snapped, frustration building within him.

"What were you doing over here—" The man crumpled to the floor, immediately unconscious at the wave of Ben's hand. Ben stepped over the man's figure as he continued down the hall towards a clear glass door that read _Medical Ward._

Pushing through the door with the Force, an attendant behind a check-in counter stepped back at Ben's hurried entrance, staring at him confusedly as he marched past the counter.

"Um, Sir, where are you—" Ben again used a Force faint to knock this man out with a dismissive wave of his hand. Moving further, he continued to do so to every person that passed him in the ward's central hall.

Ben slowed his pace as he sensed he was nearing his mother's room. Leaning around a corner, he saw several attendants with clipboards standing outside of her room, talking, and the door was closed so he could not see inside past them. Ben held out his palm towards them, pressing thoughts into one of the nurse's heads.

"Oh, my—we're needed in another room, it's an emergency!" She exclaimed, rushing down the hall. The other two looked at each other confusedly but then rushed after her, straight past Ben.

Ben cautiously made his way towards his mother's door, eyeing her name etched into a slot on the side of the door: _Leia Organa-Solo._ A sudden ache gripped his chest as he stared at the name, his former last name. His head spun and his breathing became increasingly shallow as he placed his hand on the door. _What am I doing here?_ He thought again as he gingerly pushed it open as he removed his glasses.

Standing in the open doorway, Ben felt light-headed as he stared across at his sleeping mother, an IV in her aged arm. A flashing mix of compassion, contrition, and longing flooded him as he stood staring at her prone form. He struggled to remain standing. She looked so different, yet altogether the same.

Taking in a deep breath, he took a trembling step forward, closing the door halfway behind him, afraid to wake his mother. She appeared so frail, so _fragile._ Feeling unmitigated contempt for himself, he turned to leave the room but froze as Leia's head shifted, her eyelids quivering. Ben was paralyzed, his body unable to function, his breath caught in his throat.

"Have you come to bring my water?" She asked, slowly blinking. "It's odd, I thought I sensed—" Her eyes narrowed as they began to focus on him. Ben remained frozen in place as he stared at Leia, and she at him. He watched as recognition spread across her features,her mouth opening in shock.

"I'm dreaming...my... _my_ …" she stammered, struggling for words. She began to tremble, a tear sliding down her face, and Ben's heart skipped a beat as he struggled to figure out whether she feared him. He didn't dare break into her mind to find out, so he waited. "My—my _son_...it can't be…" she breathed, shifting upwards against the pillows on her bed.

Ben opened his mouth to speak, but he found no words. He had no idea what to say. Taking in her fragile form again, his eyes began to remoisten with tears, his heart pounding as he waited in worried anticipation for her reaction. _Could she ever accept me again?_

"Ben...my baby," Leia said. Ben's face quivered at the fondness in her tone. She sat up straighter as her teary eyes studied him. "My boy...come here, let me look at you, _oh,_ let me touch your face," she coaxed, reaching out towards him. Ben hesitated, then moved slowly towards the side of her bed, lowering down towards her with a mystified expression. _Does she still feel love for me?_

Tears trailed down Ben's face as Leia placed her hand to his flushed cheek. He closed his eyes at her motherly touch, sinking his face against her hand. She pressed her other hand to his forehead, moving it back through his hair, cradling his head, feeling and studying him as if he were a small, foreign child. Ben blinked his eyes open, searching hers. "Mother," he merely breathed.

Leia choked out a sob but smiled, pulling his face towards hers as she pressed a long kiss to his forehead. She held his face at length again, studying his features, her smile fading.

"So tall, so _handsome,"_ she breathed, tracing her fingers over his face. "So much like your father."

Ben pulled gently away from Leia's grasp, his brows furrowing as he was reminded that his mother didn't know the truth about Han.

Leia read the pain on Ben's face, and she looked at him with maternal concern. She took in a long, shaking, breath. "Do not leave me, not yet," she urged, reaching out to him again. He stared down at her hand a moment before gently taking it into his own, observing her pale skin, the veins that shown through.

"I love you, Ben, I love you so much," she said, and Ben's heart skipped a beat at her words, taken aback. Leia urged him back to her, pulling his head to the top of her chest, and Ben knelt down as she rested her head atop his, rubbing her hands along his hair, softly crying. Ben allowed himself to relax against her, wrapping his arm around her far shoulder to comfort her. He marvelled at her affection, her longing for him. He tried to recall the last time his mother had held him like this, but he couldn't; it had been too long ago, many of his childhood memories having been repressed into the back of his mind.

After a few long minutes, Ben slowly pulled his head from Leia, remaining on his knees at the side of her bed. "Mother, I'm sorry...I..." he trailed, unsure of where to even begin.

"No, _don't_...don't apologize," Leia said, fresh tears sliding down her face. "This— _everything_...it's _my_ fault. I was the one who decided you should go to Luke, I never should have done that, against your will...I know you didn't want to go," she said, taking one of his hands into hers, clasping it tightly between her hands. "Why couldn't I have just listened to you?"

"It's not your fault, it's all mine," Ben said, upset at her self-blame.

"No, if we hadn't sent you...we could have kept you from...it's all my fault, and I'm so _deeply sorry,"_ she sniffed. "I've failed you, my son...my baby." She stroked his forehead, brushing the hair from his face.

Ben shook his head, his brows furrowing. "No, Mom, if I hadn't listened to Snoke—"

_"Snoke,"_ Leia hissed. "I am to blame, but _he's_ the root of all of this. He was in your head earlier than I ever realized…I realized too late," she trailed, searching his eyes. She brushed her knuckles against his cheek, and Ben closed his eyes again for a moment, absorbing her soothing touch. She pulled his face towards hers, pressing another kiss to his forehead. "You've come back to us—to stay?" She breathed, hope in her eyes.

Ben hesitated to answer, shaking his head slowly as he met her pleading gaze. "Mother, I _can't,"_ he whispered despairingly. "After all that I've done? It's too late. I can't stay here."

Distress crossed Leia's face, her mouth trembling. "It's never too late...you _can't_ leave me again...Ben, _all_ can be forgiven. I do not blame you for anything, and Luke—" she paused "—he will come to understand," she pressed, looking at him seriously.

Ben remembered he needed his own mother to understand everything, first. "I need to show you something…" he said softly, searching her eyes. "It won't be easy, but I need to show you the truth...about...Dad," he said. He had almost said 'Han Solo,' so accustomed he had grown to using his father's full name as Snoke had instructed to detach himself from him. "Can I show you?"

Leia's eyebrows quivered as she studied his face. "Yes, show me," she said, grasping his hand and pressing it to her forehead. Ben remembered when he as a young child had figured out how to share memories and thoughts with his parents in this way, and how he would always replay for his mother his dreams and nightmares.

Ben closed his eyes, concentrating. In his head he replayed Han's death, how his father had been the one to turn on the lightsaber switch. He did his best to keep the memory brief, not allowing Leia to see much of Han's pained face, and blocking out his fall from the catwalk completely. But Ben wasn't able to keep his thoughts from turning to Rey, how he'd looked up after Chewie's bowcaster blast to see her watching him, appalled. Ben was flushed in his memory and in the present with the remorse and despondency not only of his father's death, but of the fact that Rey had watched the incident, how she had thought that he had killed his father until he'd shown her the truth.

_Kylo Ren._

Confusion suddenly swept Ben as his thoughts and memories began to distort in his mind, hazy and swirling as if going down a drain. _No,_ Ben thought. _Impossible. How could he possibly—_

_You thought you had escaped me. You were wrong._

Ben shook his head, dazed at the presence in his head. He suddenly couldn't open his eyes, couldn't remove his hand from his mother's forehead. He was paralyzed. _And now you will pay dearly._

Ben's mind shifted into a overwhelming white haze as he felt a powerful current of the Force surge through him, traveling quickly from his head, down his arm, through his hand into Leia. He thought he heard a distant shriek, but his senses were dulled, his body unresponsive as he struggled to tear his hand from his mother's forehead.

Willing all of his strength, Ben surged into his deeply mixed pain and love of his parents, his love and devotion for Rey, his fear for his mother. He was abruptly able to tear himself away from Leia, and he staggered back into the wall behind him, breathless. Blinking, his eyes slowly refocused on his mother, who was silent. Too silent.

He stumbled back to the edge of the bed, hyperventilating, observing her unconscious self. His hands shook as he hovered them above her, in shock and unsure of what to do, wanting to feel for her heartbeat. But Ben was too petrified to touch her again. _What...what have I done?!_

Ben backed away from the bed, staring in horror at his mother's still body. He struggled to formulate coherent thought as he stumbled backwards through the doorway of her room. As he backed into the hallway, he stopped, breaking his gaze from his mother and eyeing his trembling hands before him. _How could I have let this happen,_ he lamented.

Shaking his head in numb disbelief, Ben jogged blindly back through the hospital ward, shoving through people as he made his way back through the building. Gone. Both gone. They're both gone, he repeated in his head, trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. _Both because of me, it's my fault, my fault…_

Ben felt the pull of the Force, and he followed it without thinking, jogging down unfamiliar hallways amidst confused stares from passersby.

He dashed around a corner, struggling to breathe, to maintain his grasp on reality. He slid to am abrupt stop as he entered an open courtyard, where an aged man stood at the other end.

Ben shook his head at the sight. _No, no,_ he thought despairingly. _How could I not have realized who the Force was leading me to?_

...

In her small hospital bed, Leia gasped awake, struggling for air as her head and chest pounded with incredible, singing pain. She groaned, pitching forward in flooded emotion, not at her own condition, but at the images, sounds, and feelings that reverberating in her mind from Ben. As she fully came to, Leia realized she had seen the truth of Han's death—and had heard the voice of the one that had ripped her son from her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bad Luck Brian? More like Bad Luck Ben—he can't catch a break! What will happen between him and Luke, and when will Rey wake up? I decided to add the last paragraph because I wanted to assure everyone that I hadn't killed Leia off—I believe she needs to live, considering all that she's been through in the Star Wars world. That, and I didn't have the heart to leave poor Ben parentless. 
> 
> Bonus: I was always planning to throw in a Matt the Radar Technician reference somewhere, and I finally found my opportunity. Thank you for reading!


	34. The Droid You're Looking For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter of this episode! Thank you to all of my readers and commenters. If you're interested in reading the sequel, it will be posted as a separate story will be titled Star Wars Ep IX: Rise of the Grey. I'll be posting that episode soon, so stay tuned.

Ben froze as he stared across the long courtyard at Luke, who returned his gaze with equal surprise. But Ben sensed Luke's building antagonism, and he debated turning around to run the other way. _No. I have to face him. It's now or never,_ Ben thought, but he was well-aware of the potential for his own mortality at the hands of Luke, the uncle and mentor he had betrayed. With a heavy sigh, Ben took a step forward, continuing to stare across at his uncle. _So be it._

Luke swiftly drew his lightsaber, igniting it before him with lowered brows. He began moving towards Ben at a fevered pace.

Ben slid out and ignited his own crackling saber, but with much less surety.

Luke used a sudden Force-jump to swiftly breach the gap between them, and Ben's balanced was jolted as his uncle's saber came crashing down upon his.

Ben slid his saber from Luke's, ducking away from one of his uncle's hard swings. Luke swung his saber with breakneck speed, and Ben struggled to focus on what was happening, on reality itself as his mind shifted between Rey and his mother.

Luke slashed madly against Ben's saber, attempting to knock it from his grasp, but Ben managed to maintain his hold on the weapon despite his unsound focus.

"How _dare_ you come back here to kill your own mother!" Luke growled, jabbing at Ben fiercely as he pushed his nephew towards the center of the courtyard. "How _could_ you!"

Ben shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around Luke's stinging words. He ducked under another swing of his uncle's, dashing around a bench to get away from his uncle. He didn't dare to make any of his own offensive moves against Luke.

"I _didn't_ —that's not what I wanted!" Ben exclaimed as Luke lunged at him. Ben clashed his red sparking saber against Luke's defensively. "I didn't come here to kill her!"

Luke seemed to ignore this, his hits only growing stronger. Ben had never dueled someone as masterful as Luke, and he began to lose energy. Ben grew disoriented, dizzy, unable to parry Luke's quick, hard hits. Luke's saber made contact with Ben's shoulder, his arm, and even grazed his side at one point, but Ben was too numb from what had happened to his mother to even feel the searing pain of the plasma.

Suddenly, Luke shot his hand out at Ben, sending him flying a few yards away. Ben landed heavily onto his back, the wind knocked out of him. His saber landed a ways away from him.

Ben didn't bother to call it back to himself as Luke surged towards him, standing over him with his saber aimed down at Ben's chest, poised to deliver the final blow.

….

Chewie suddenly released a thick, piercing roar from the side of the courtyard that shook through Luke's very core. Luke froze. He glanced across at the Wookie, who was snarling at Luke in ferocious dissent.

Still standing over his nephew, his saber pointed downwards, Luke's chest heaved as he regathered his breath. His mind began to unfog as he stared down into his nephew's eyes, searching. In them he did not read fear or cowardice; rather, what sent a shock up Luke's spine was the _acceptance_ he recognized in his nephew's eyes, his concession to his own death. Slowly, shakily stepping away, he realized Ben had the fixed assumption that his own uncle would kill him.

As Luke staggered backwards, staring across at his prone nephew, he saw him again as the shy, wistful boy he once had been, when he had trained under him. Ben stared back at Luke, bewilderment and surprise spreading across his features as he craned his neck up from the ground.

_"Sir?"_ Luke heard behind him, and he turned around to see a concerned Poe, surrounded by a group of other pilots and generals. Luke wasn't sure when they had all gathered, whether they had seen the entire fight, but they all appeared to be confused at Luke's sudden mercy.

Luke shook his head in dismay, at his attack on his own nephew. _How could I have allowed hatred into my heart?_ He wondered in alarm. Staring across at Ben again, he did not read malice or ill-intent in his eyes. They were not even the golden-orange color of the Sith. _He has not come here to kill,_ Luke realized, his expression softening slightly. _He is not the same, but he is not completely lost._

Ben propped himself up on his elbows as he blinked uneasily across at Luke and the others.

"Is that—"

"That's his nephew?"

_"Solo's_ son?"

Luke turned around as he heard anxious murmurs behind him. Chewbacca, Poe, Finn, and a group of generals and pilots had gathered at the edge of the courtyard from where Ben had appeared.

_"Sir,"_ Poe pressed, stepping forward and raising his blaster. Chewie growled at Poe, who glanced at the Wookie. A few officers behind Poe moved forward, despite Chewie's growls of warning.

"Poe, wait," Finn pressed, eyeing the Wookie.

"Arrest him!" One of the generals exclaimed, pointing across at Ben.

But the men immediately stopped in their tracks as Luke threw his arm out, glaring at everyone and signalling them to freeze.

_"Let—him—go,"_ Luke commanded, and the men wavered under his deep tone.

Luke turned and watched as Ben scrambled up to his feet, moving backwards and away from his uncle slowly. He searched Luke's face, seemingly looking for permission.

_"Go,"_ Luke said, nodding his head in the direction of the opening to the X-wing hangar behind Ben. "But don't come back," he added, dropping his voice.

Ben's face twitched in apparent pain, and he turned, whisking around the corner and out of view.

"But, sir!" Admiral Ackbar yelled. "He is a danger to us all!"

"Sir, Luke, we _can't_ just _let him go,"_ Poe exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. Luke shot him a disapproving look as the pilot clicked the saftey off on his blaster.

The other pilots and officials began to move past Luke, eyeing him as they moved towards the hallway where Ben had left.

"Leave him!" Luke urged, but the men pushed past him, beginning to sprint after his nephew. Luke began to move after them, but stopped, realizing that he couldn't go against his own people. He had the sense that the Force was with Ben. But judging by what he had seen in his nephew's eyes, he wasn't sure if Ben had even the motivation to save himself.

Luke sensed an approaching presence behind him. He turned and was surprised to see Rey jogging up to him. Her hair was loose, blowing freely in the breeze as she ran towards him into the open courtyard.

"Luke! What's going on?" She exclaimed, sliding to a stop before him. "There's shouting, people running—where's _Ben?"_

Luke hesitated to speak. Her concern for his nephew was clear. He shook his head, not wanting her near him again. "He's gone."

_"What?"_ She blurted, confused. "No, I sense him! He's here!" Her eyes searched the courtyard and came to rest on something to their side. Luke followed her gaze and saw the hilt of Ben's lightsaber lying in the dirt. Rey looked back to Luke in alarm. "What _happened?"_

A pang of guilt rang through Luke as he placed a hand on her arm in paternal reassurance. "Rey, he _can't_ stay here. He can't be accepted by the others—after _all_ he's done? They see him as a danger, as Vader incarnate."

"But he's _not!"_ She exclaimed, pulling away from him. She looked at him seriously. "You know that, you should defend him! You out of anyone!"

"Rey, he _killed_ all of the other Padawans," Luke said, flinching.

"No he didn't!" Rey exclaimed.

_"Rey,_ I saw it with my own eyes," Luke responded flatly.

Rey's mouth quivered as she appeared to consider this. "You saw your own _father_ redeemed," she said, remembering the stories Luke had told her about Anakin and his transformation into Darth Vader. "Why not Ben?"

Luke was about to speak, but he cut himself off at the sound of blasters behind him. Rey's eyes widened and darted past him, and she began to move away from him.

"Rey, don't go after him, you belong _here,"_ Luke called as she jogged towards the hallway leading to the hangar.

Luke followed her as she sprinted through the corridor, through the large X-wing hangar. He followed her to the crowd that was moving quickly down the long tarmac, shooting ahead towards an X-wing that had just begun its ascent up from the pavement.

….

Her heart pounding in her chest, Rey sprinted ahead through the lines of X-wings as she saw various pilots climbing into their ships on either side of her, and people jogging ahead, firing their blasters at an X-wing lifting from the ground. _Ben,_ she sensed.

"No!" She yelled, surging forward. As she caught up to the crowd, a man directly in front of her fired a shot at the X-wing, landing a small hole in its side. Rey pushed the man aside with her hands and, using the Force, angrily ripped it from his grasp, sending it flying several yards away.

She continued forward, continuing to Force-pull the guns from the grasp of those who fired at the ship. _"Stop!_ Put down your blasters!" She yelled, somehow finding power enough within her to use a mass mind trick. The pilots, generals, and officials all immediately dropped their weapons, at her command, turning to stare back at her.

Rey pushed forward through the confused crowd, staggering to a stop underneath the ship as it rose above her. _Ben, no!_ She pressed, waiting for him to respond to her. _Ben, you can't leave me!_

Rey heard running footsteps behind her, and she turned around to see Poe approaching with a large blaster gun. "That's _my_ ship!" Poe exclaimed, aiming his gun up at the vessel.

"No!" Rey yelled at him.

Poe aimed his weapon up at the ship, then lowered it, his expression dejected as his gaze remained focused above. _"No,_ BB-8!" He bemoaned as the ship sped up into the sky.

Rey stared up at the ship in confusion and despondency as it climbed up towards the clouds. _Ben, why?_ She urged. _Why?_

_Rey, this is where you belong. This is where you will be safe,_ Ben responded.

Rey's heart skipped a beat as she heard him respond, and tears slid down her face as she began to understand. _This was your plan from the start,_ she realized, _to leave me here...you lied to me. I trusted you!_

She didn't hear Ben respond again, and she shifted her attention to a group of X-wings that darted into view from the side of her peripheral vision. They were heading upwards towards Ben's ship. Rey gasped as they began shooting at Ben's X-wing, tailing it.

Closing her eyes and tightening her fists, Rey surged the power of the Force within her, bringing all of her strength surging to the surface, before letting out a strong breath, pushing it upwards towards Ben through the direct path of their bond.

Rey took in a shaking breath, weakened from having sent Ben all of her own strength. Her eyelids drooping, she stumbled backwards into Poe's waiting arms.

….

Ben struggled to even his breathing and focus his distraught mind as he steered the X-wing ship out of the Azalea system. He wasn't used to flying a one-man craft, and the controls were unlike anything that he had flown before.

Eyeing the X-wings tailing behind him, he scanned the controls in front of him, finally locating the lever he was looking for. He yanked it, the stars around him appearing to stretch as the ship surged forward into hyperspace.

When he pulled the ship out of hyperspace a short time after, he lowered the ship to a cruising speed, turning on the ship's long-distance communication and typing in a signal code.

Ben hunched forward, taking in a deep, uneven breath. _Luke wants me dead. Now my mother's gone. Both of my parents. Gone, because of me._ His eyes welled with hot tears as he attempted to wrap his mind around the loss of his family. He gripped the ship's steering wheel for support as he grieved, his chest shaking with each breath. _Now Rey—oh, Rey...I've broken your trust,_ he thought dismally.

Ben rose his head, wiping the tears from his face as he stared at the distant stars ahead. _You don't belong with me Rey, you'll be in danger. It's better for you to stay where you are protected, to stay away from me. It's better for you to hate me,_ he concluded. Squeezing the steering wheel in a spasm of deep affliction, he clenched his jaw, thinking of Rey's sweet, innocent face as he'd laid her down to sleep in the grass. _I'll make you hate me._

Ben jolted at the sound of rapid beeping behind him, and he flipped around to see a BB-8 unit in the droid slot behind his cockpit. It quivered its head as it looked at him, bleeping in alarm. _Is that the same droid I was looking for before…?_ Ben wondered. The droid beeped again, but Ben turned around, not bothering to answer it.

He sat up quickly as the X-wing's communicator blinked, and he pressed a button to turn on the transmission.

"Kylo Ren. I knew you would come around again," Nodin's voice sounded over the intercom.

"I'm in the vicinity. I'm in an old Resistance X-wing, I'll lower my shields so you can locate me." Ben pressed the ship's security field off.

Soon after, a large freight shuttle came into view ahead of him. Ben steered the X-wing towards the shuttle as the droid behind him bleeped in clear protest. The freight ship's front opened, and Ben's X-wing was slowly engulfed into a massive, dimly-lit hangar. He landed the ship as the hangar's door closed to the outside.

Ben took in a deep breath before opening the cockpit's top, peering into the dimness of the hangar. "Nodin?" He called out. He turned at the sound of the BB-8 unit's nervous trill.

Suddenly, the lights in the hangar were all turned on, and the droid bleeped in rapid succession.

Ben flipped around, his heart stopping as he found himself surrounded on every side by hundreds of stormtroopers, all of whose blasters were trained directly on him. His mouth dropped open in shocked horror as his eyes came to rest on a dark figure amongst the crowd of black and white.

Barely able to speak, Ben shook his head in consternation. "Nodin...how? _Why?"_ He exclaimed.

Nodin took a step forward, gesturing out to Ben. "You've been too distracted, Ren. You are destined for greatness, but you've let compassion get in the way," he said. Ben flinched as he was reminded of Snoke's previous mention of Ben's compassion. _Had Nodin been conspiring with Snoke?_

Nodin stepped to the side, along with several stormtroopers, as an all-too-familiar blue figure parted through the crowd towards Ben. "We meet again, _Ren,"_ the Chiss male said.

"Admiral Thrawn," Ben returned in disgust.

Thrawn nodded his head once, looking Ben over. "I remember training you when you were just a boy. Back on Drecenia. You remember, don't you?"

Ben's face quivered as he remembered how terrified and lonely he'd been on the snowy planet. To him, at the time, the planet had been a place of nightmares.

"You remember when I would throw you out to those Nexus?" Thrawn continued with a sinister chuckle. "You learned how to fight them...well, eventually."

_"What do you want?"_ Ben snapped, gritting his teeth.

"Supreme Leader Snoke has requested that I train you again. Maybe _this_ time your training with me will stick," Thrawn said sharply, narrowing his dark red eyes.

Ben clenched his fists at his sides, wishing he had his lightsaber, some method of attack.

"Ren, brother, come, it is time," Nodin said, gesturing for Ben to follow them. "You have no weapon."

"I'm no _brother_ of yours," Ben snapped, glaring at Nodin.

"Take him in. If he won't come of his own accord, put him out," Thrawn said flatly to the troopers, turning away and heading out of the hangar.

A squadron of stormtroopers with Z6 batons marched towards Ben, and he considered attacking them. But eyeing the weapons they yielded, and unable to find the will within himself to resist any longer, Ben reluctantly allowed them to shove him forward through the line of troopers. _What need have I to fight them any longer?_

Ben heard the droid bleep several times as he was led away, and he turned to look at it, considering it. _Perhaps..._ "Wait, the droid," he said urgently to the troopers around him. "It may be of interest to the Empire, since it was from the Organa headquarters." The troopers around him nodded, and he glanced back, watching as a few of the stormtroopers moved towards the orange and black X-wing ship to get the frantically-beeping droid out of its compartment.

As Ben was shoved out of the hangar, being pushed towards an uncertain future, he glanced back once again at the bleeping orange BB-8 unit, hoping he could find a way to get it back. He realized that if this was the droid he had been looking for, he knew who it would have been in contact with. The droid could be his one, last connection to Rey.


End file.
